The Sixth Sense
by Ardent Chronicler
Summary: Extrasensory Perception shows in 9 forms, also known as the "Sixth Sense", this is not one of them.
1. Prologue 1

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 **I DO NOT OWN NARUTO IN ANY SHAPE OR CAPACITY. I ONLY OWN MY FICTITIOUS OC'S.**

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 **So, I haven't worked on any of my stories for a while, and to be honest I have very little time due to how my classes are going. Though I will have a large chunk of time each day I should be able to use to write so I may be getting back into my stories soon. I am having to drop a course and due to that my MWF schedule will run 8-10 classes, 10-12:40 empty 12:45 choir. On TTH my schedule will be 8-10:40 classes, 10:50-12:40 empty 12:45 Choir. Hopefully I will be able to continue on with all of my stories, but to be honest, I have lost sight of Flaming Leaves so it will be on a temporary hiatus till I can reconfigure my story and try to find the will to continue it. Till then this story and Silence Left Behind will be my major stories.**

 **This story was inspired by an SI-OC I read and I felt compelled since I have the time to write. This is probably going to be replacing Flaming Leaves for the time being till I figure that situation out. My uploading WILL be sporadic, I will write and post as I can but do not expect anything till after new years as of a schedule. I will have January 1-March 9 off till I transfer to my 4 year university. Hopefully you all can enjoy this and will look forward to more of my writing.**

 **Till the end,**

 **Ardent Chronicler**

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 **Glossary: Scene breaks will be denoted by a line of X's**

"Speech"

' _Thoughts'_

" **Demonic or summons speech"**

' _ **Demonic or summons thoughts'**_

Jutsus shall be rendered in Japanese or English depending on which they are. For example, I will not be saying Almighty Push, I will be saying Shinra Tensei, or Rasengan instead of Spiraling Sphere. However instead of Raiton: Gian I will be saying Lightning Style: False Darkness, I am now starting to consider going only Japanese or English with the jutsu. Please let me know which you would rather.

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Ever since I can remember I have never been able to see. My mother coddles me as much as possible, my father thinks I can't smell it but he has been drinking since I was a baby. I am getting ahead of myself, my name is, wait, what is my name? I-I can't seem to remember. I remember other things, my sister, mother, my father, my best friend, even that anime my sister was addicted to, Naruto was it? Why can't I remember my name?

I don't know how long I was there, wherever there was when I felt a shock to my system. I heard sounds, familiar but terrifying. I heard laughing, I heard growling, grunts, screams. What was going on?

Oh, oh I remember now. I was stabbed in my chest, I don't know how many times. The screams must have been my girlfriends, but I can't be sure. The feeling encapsulates me and I start to scream, I felt the burning and the pain all around me. I scream and try to fight against whatever I feel but I start to feel things slip. The warm pressure surrounds me throwing me like a ragdoll and as I move I feel my life slipping from me, or at least my memory. I start to forget my mother's voice, my fathers, my sisters, my girlfriends. I forget the feeling of the cold rains in New York, the warm summers in Arkansas. I start to forget events, like winning in my schools thumb war competition, getting my AoA at college, I feel everything leaving. Before everything can disappear I grab onto the last thing I have, that damned anime, Naruto and I hold on for dear life.

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There are sounds, screaming in pain, a child? I hear male voices and female voices rushing around. I struggle to catch my breath but I can't. I'm in the hospital I can smell the antiseptic for a mile, but something's wrong. I am weak, weaker than I feel I should be. I feel hands, though they are huge like a giants. One behind my head and on my neck, the other on my rear. I yell, I shout in pain, I can't see, I still can't see, WHY CAN'T I SEE! I struggle as I hear a light voice, she sounded so nice but I knew I wasn't supposed to be this small or weak, what is happening? Then I am lowered, a soft pillow below me, I guess a bed? I can't be sure because I still can't see.

I stop screaming as I feel myself slipping away, why can't I breathe well? Someone help me, please.

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The next thing I can remember is waking up and feeling something running down my neck, I want to cry but I am weak and tired. I can't move well and I hear crying and hushed voices. I her someone getting slapped and I groan before going back to sleep.

For the longest time I feel so tired that I can't stay awake more than a few minutes at a time. I get glimpses of sound, a woman humming, a mans deep bass, a woman's beautiful soprano lulling me to sleep. Then it happened, it was like a wisp, but then it grew, and slowly but surely I could see something, I didn't know how to describe it, maybe like the color of water? Then there were others, a world lighting up a bright green, flowing all around the people in the room. I began to cry tears of joy, I could see something! The blue people seemed to shake as they moved, and a small hand leaned down and a finger caressed my cheek and there it was, that lulling soprano once again in my ear.

"It is ok my little Niko-chan, it's going to be ok. Kaa-chan is here Niko-chan, Kaa-chan is here."

Kaa-chan? It's a nice name, I like it, and did she call me Niko? I had a name, something to latch onto and as best as I could I moved my hand, I saw the swirling blue in my own limb and wrapped my fingers around her thumb. I heard her begin to cry and I tried to smile, I was weak, but for this kind woman, I will smile like nothing was wrong. Then I slipped away once again.

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"Niko-chan?"

I was roused from my sleep by the woman named Kaa-chan, and I let out that bright smile I had been practicing. I tried to say something but all that came out was a gurgle.

"My sweet little one. Are you ready to come home?"

I watch the blue appendages lift me up and lay me against it's shoulder and I curl into the shoulder as well as I could.

"Tatsuki-san, what are you doing!? You know Niko-kun can't be out of that!"

I hear shuffling footsteps and I was yanked away from the warmness, I began to cry.

"Senju-sama, You don't even want him, why won't you just let me take him home!"

"You know I can't do that, so please Tatsuki-san, just go home."

I looked over and I saw the blue form I was pulled from, her shoulders were shaking and her arms wrapped around her torso. She was crying, I hated it when she cried so I reached out for her and tried to tell her it would be ok, but all that came out was a wispy wheeze. I hadn't realized but it was getting hard to breathe again.

"Please."

The utter pain and anguish in her voice killed me. I needed her to smile, to be ok.

"I can't, like I told you before, give it another three months, by his first birthday I should have the damage done to his lungs fixed. Then he can come home."

Three months? Lung damage? What was going on? I saw the blue woman leaving, shaking as I heard the cries from her as she walked away. This blue person with a star on her forehead, I decided then and there I do not like her. I would fight her tooth and nail as much as I can. Looking at the star on her forehead I saw the darker blue lines that I supposed where her lips smiling town at me and I gave her the most anger filled look I could and I heard her gasp.

"Why are you looking at me like that Niko-kun?"

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Three months, it had gone by in a figurative flash for me. I learned some cool tricks though, I could move the blue that made up my body if I would focus on it and I could make it dance! I was enthralled and payed attention to how other people made their blue bodies dance and it was enrapturing. I loved watching the people floating around, seeing their blue hands turn green, some turned a brighter blue, and even three turned a dark blue. Though when blue bodies vanished I got sad, I guess that meant they died.

It was my last day in this hospital, the star woman who I learned was named Tsunade had been telling me all day about it! I was kind of excited to be honest, I had been learning that the green stuff wasn't people, and the blue stuff was people. Tsunade was mean to other people but for some reason she was nicer to me. Then it happened, I don't know what time it was but I remember waking up and seeing six blue people climb into my room. I heard hushed voices and angry snarls, I saw the star lady coming towards the room and I made a noise. One of the blue people grabbed me by my right leg and hung me upside down in his grip. I started crying, it hurt, it hurt so badly! I heard a loud bang and then the star woman was in my room, and I tried to call out her name but I started coughing, and it hurt like razors.

"Let him go!"

"Now now Tsunade-hime, you don't want something bad to happen to him do you?"

I saw Tsunades blue form still and it was coiling, but strangely calm, then the next thing I know I hear gagled choking and I drop. Tsunade caught me and held me close, I turned my head while coughing and I saw a shorter blue figure but his blu seemed so blue, and so deep like an ocean.

"Sensei, thank you for helping."

"Of course Tsunade-chan, anything for you and Niko-kun. Though, I do have to ask, have you changed your mind?"

"Sensei…..The only reason I am even taking care of him is because of his illness. HE reminds me too much of Dan. As soon as tomorrow ends, I am gone."

"He has a name and is your son, and the last Senju heir after you."

"Sensei, I am done fighting about it. I am giving my rights up to Niko-kun, he is going with Tasuki-san and the Uzumaki in trade for Kushina-san and that is final."

I watched Sensei-san look down and then surprisingly he vanished, he was alive I was sure but he had just vanished. Tsunade's glowing green hand rested on my chest and immediately my coughs started to stop, and my throat felt better but I tasted copper.

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The next day ended and sure enough I was with Kaa-chan again, she was a nice lady so I clung to her as much as I could. Tsunade had been teaching me to walk and crawl over the last week, but to be honest I liked being held so I might just pay like I can't yet. I snuggled into Kaa-chan's chest and listened to her heartbeat, it was strange. The more I focused the more I could see what was beating, a weird pulsating thing in her chest surrounded by blue. I like it, it was nice and it lulled me to sleep.

The next time I woke up I was in some place surrounded by the green colored stuff, and I was enthralled. While the blue color seemed to pulse and be, well, alive, the green stuff was so much more. It didn't separate, it didn't stutter, it was like one big entity and it was gorgeous. I was bobbing up and down and when I looked down I saw the blue figure of Kaa-san and three other men all around. I couldn't help but laugh and I felt Kaa-san' blue twingy rapidly and the only way I could say is that it was happy!

"Uzumaki-dono, it might be wise to make sure the child is silent during the trip."

"Nonsense Hachi-san, Niko-chan is just enjoying the ride. Isn't that right my beautiful boy?"

I couldn't help but let a happy squeal out with joy, I loved whatever this green hoping thing is! IT WAS AWESOME.

"Still my lady, with Kaminari and Mizu being active, we need to take precautions."

I hear Kaa-chan sigh and saw her nod.

"Fine, but only till we reach Uzushiogakure."

The next thing I knew, I was asleep.

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"Hey, you!"

I turned around, standing across from me was a tall man with milky eyes.

"Yes you, quickly, I'm disappearing and I need to tell you something."

Against better judgement I walked closer, and when he held his hand out I reached out and took it. Then it was pain, flashes, I remembered things, or saw them it was hard to explain. I began to panic, the man was flowing into me but at the same time, I felt he WAS me. He was what I had been, and I am what will become. I don't understand but I remembered things, recipes, mathematics, science equations, rationality, experiences, reflexes, languages, everything and it hurt so badly.

"I'm sorry Niko, I am so so sorry, but I can't just disappear so I am giving my all to you. Everything I was is now yours, so please, live and love, be more, want more. Never forget who YOU are, forget who I am but don't forget what I am giving you."

I wanted to talk but I couldn't the pain was immeasurable and I fell, and I never stopped.

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"-ko, Ni- Niko-chan!"

I jumped with a start, it was the dream again. I turned towards Kaa-chans blue body and stood. It had been two years since the dreams started, and two since I came to live with the Uzumaki with Kaa-chan. I ran towards Kaa-chan and leapt into her arms, she hugged me tightly as I began to cry.

"Shhh, shhh, it's ok Niko-chan, it's ok."

I felt her hand smoothing the back of my head and leave my room. I buried my head into the crook of her neck as I cried. I had dreams of people dying or people being hurt, and last night the Uzumaki clan had been wiped out. It was the most vivid dream I have ever had.

I was lowered onto a large bed and I felt Kaa-chan cuddle up to me and I clung to her tightly. I was terrified to sleep or to try and sleep. She was humming a lullaby to me but I couldn't help but cry. I mourned for people who I didn't know and those I did know. I couldn't help it, I cried even harder.

"Do you want to tell me about it?"

I did, I told her all of it, the dream from start to finish, and that I couldn't remember anyone surviving outside of Kushina. I described our attackers and what would happen to the village, how Konoha wouldn't help even though we were allies. It took an hour but at the end her blue form seemed serene and she held me close and kissed my forehead.

"It's just a dream my little Niko-chan, just a dream."

The next morning, my dream came true.

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	2. Prologue 2

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 **I DO NOT OWN NARUTO IN ANY SHAPE OR CAPACITY. I ONLY OWN MY FICTITIOUS OC'S.**

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 **Glossary: Scene breaks will be denoted by a line of X's**

"Speech"

' _Thoughts'_

" **Demonic or summons speech"**

' _ **Demonic or summons thoughts'**_

I got a good suggestion from reviewer GaoGod. I will be rending Jutsu in Japanese, and I will post a glossary at the end of the chapter for each Jutsu and their translation to English.

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It was chaos, utter chaos. First the large blue dome covered the city, then I was grabbed by Kaa-chan and we were running, so quickly I almost couldn't keep up. It was horrible, Kaa-chan, Ojii-sama, and Obaa-sama were all being escorted somewhere and I was crying loudly.

"Tatsuki-chan! Hurry, we must get to the bunker before they break through!"

"Chichiue, what is happening?"

"Iwagakure, Kumogakure, and Kirigakure are attacking. The Konohagakure ANBU that were stationed here tried to kill Mizore and I. We are going to the library bunker while we still can. We are alone in this."

I heard my grandmother shuffle her feet in a strange way but she kept going. Grandmothers chakra was faded, it wasn't completely there like mothers. We were ushered into this small underground room with blue lines all over the place.

"Tatsuki, you know the drill, you and Niko-chan go into the back room and seal the vault."

"Chichiue! What about you and Hahaue?"

For the first time in two years I heard my grandmother's voice, a rough and scratchy voice.

"Tatsuki-chan, listen to Koga and do as he asks. They can get us, but do not let them take yourself or Niko-chan."

"I, I promise Hahaue."

With a wave of her hand Kaa-chan brought me and her into a room with even more blue lines and we hid. We stayed there three days before the blue lines vanished and I saw it, too many blue people to count, and too many on the ground fading away. Kaa-chan grasped my face and placed her forehead against mine.

"Niko-chan, listen to me, and listen to me closely. I am so sorry for not believing you, you were right all along. I am so so sorry. The bad men are going to take us now and I want you to close your eyes and no matter what you hear or see don't open them. I love you my little one, more than anything in life."

Then I heard a loud bang and shouts, I was ripped from my mother's arms, I tried to close my eyes but I still saw the blue forms of my Ojii-sama and Obaa-sama fade away, I heard my mother screaming and I was whisked away from that place.

It wasn't long till I focused and saw the man holding me, his blue was tainted with a red, a red that felt so deep and encompassing. Realizing I was looking at him the blue and red form threw me to the ground. I hit the ground roughly and felt a boot on my neck.

"Strange for one of these Uzumaki bastards to not have red hair, and are you sure this is the heir?"

"What do you take me for Tou-san, a fool?"

"A-kun, you are to be the next Raikage, do not forget who you are speaking too."

"Yes Tou-sama."

"Good now pack him up, he is coming to our village, we will rebuild the Uzumaki in our own image."

I felt those rough grabby hands latch onto my neck and I tried to struggle, I really did but I couldn't, so I bit the closest thing to me as hard as I could. I felt blood seep into my mouth as the blue figure I latched onto cried out in pain. Then I felt pain, blinding, searing pain erupt from the back of my head and I fell to the ground.

"THAT LITTLE BASTARD!"

"Enough A, to make reparations you can have your way with his mother. Feel free to take her as you please, but kill her afterwards."

I tried to tell them no, to stop it, but all became black and I felt nothing more.

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The next two days were a blur, I was so sleepy but any time I almost fell asleep I would get shocked. I tried tugging at the rope around my hands and would get flung to the ground and dragged until I righted myself. I didn't get to eat and barely anything to drink, I think they were trying to keep me weak. I missed Kaa-chan, I wish she would come and save me. I want my Ojii-sama to hold me on his knee and tell me of the old fights he had, I wanted Obaa-sama to take walks with me to the ocean and let me dip my hand into the bright green energy.

I saw two blue figures in the trees up ahead, apparently the ones that hurt me didn't know so I stayed silent. Soon enough, chaos erupted, I was snatched by the shorter of the two who smelled like chemicals and antiseptic. We flew through the towers of green, trees I knew, far faster than anyone had ever taken me before. In the distance before we got out of ear shot I heard five words that made me feel an inexplicable sense of ease and safety.

"Kuchiyose: Yatai Kuzushi no jutsu"

I saw a monstrous amount of blue deeper than an ocean fall on the blue figures who kidnapped me. I buried my head into the neck of the one who smelled like antiseptic and began to cry. I heard a smooth tenor speak in my ear.

"You are fine child, we are taking you home to Konohagakure."

"Who, who are you?"

"I am a friend of your Kaa-sans, my name is Orochimaru."

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I remember falling asleep in Orochimaru's arms and when I woke up I was held by the taller blue man that reeked of ink and sake.

"Jiraiya, he's awake."

"Oh, morning Niko-kun, how do you feel?"

How did I feel? How _did_ I feel, I don't know. Numb? I don't think that was healthy, but nonetheless it is how I felt, so I shrugged. I felt the man's hair, it was spiked and soft, so I hugged him tighter and fisted his hair and I just kept my eyes closed not that it did much. Even with my physical eyelids closed I could see the blue that made up the men, the green that made up everything else. I focused on the green and just felt it, like cool mint flowing through my veins and I relaxed, until I remembered my Kaa-chan. I curled up as much as I could and began to cry.

"It's ok Niko-kun, you can cry."

Cry I did.

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After spending three days with the two men I managed to make a good feel of them. Orochimaru was calm, but shy, he was smart but antisocial. He was fascinated by nature and science and seemed to have his head stuck in a notebook the majority of the trip. He seemed inquisitive to the small conversations Jiraiya and I would be having. It felt like he was putting me under scrutiny like I didn't belong. I had this strange feeling, a feeling that even though I knew nothing about him, nor he knew me, that he was dangerous and I should avoid him.

Jiraiya on the other hand was like fire to Orochimaru's ice. Jiraiya was outgoing, boisterous, not too bright but intelligent in his own way. He was enthralled by humans and what made them tick and enthralled apparently by my mother. He was kind to me and answered any question I had with what I guessed to be truthfulness. I felt at ease, like Jiraiya would make everything better, I knew on instinct I could trust him.

"We're almost there kid, we'll be home by daybreak."

"Is Kaa-chan gonna to be there?"

"Hmm?"

"Kaa-chan was taken by the bad men, is she there?"

"I'm sorry kid, but by the time Orochimaru and I arrived, Tatsuki-san was dead."

"I figured."

"Oh?"

"Yeah, I saw her blue disappear."

"Her blue?"

"Yeah her blue." I buried my head into his shoulder and felt his hand brush through my scalp.

"Can you describe it to me? Her blue I mean."

"Hmmm," I never thought about it before, how am I supposed to describe it. "Well, Kaa-chans blue was swirly, and wild and hugged me. I could tell when she would lie to me cause her blue tried to keep away from me."

"Do either of us have a blue?"

"Mhm."

"Describe it to us."

"Oro-san blue is wound up like a top and tight. It feels like it wants to poke stuff. Yours is kinda poofy and warm like a dry pillow." I felt him ruffle my hair again as we kept traveling onward. I kind of like it when he rubbed my head, it made me relax.

"It sounds like you can see chakra Niko-kun. How long have you been able to see this blue stuff?"

"Hmmm," I had to take a moment, I can remember from my birth till now and I can remember always being able to see it in some way. "I guess since forever, I even remember star lady."

"Star lady?"

"Her forehead was like a bright star, it hurt my eyes sometimes." I felt Jiraiya's chakra shift a bit before it pulled away from me.

"There is no way you remember her."

"I do, she was mostly nice to me, but she made Kaa-chan cry so I didn't like her as much."

I saw his blue become tighter and I knew, discussion time was over. So I buried my head into his shoulder and relaxed trying to sleep. Sooner or later we would arrive at Konohagakure, I hoped sooner. I started to count the leaps and bounds, and sure enough by the time I counted to five I was drifting off.

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"Hey, Niko-kun, we're here."

A hand on my back, a firm hand rubbing my back and I sit up feeling very drowsy. I look around and I seea ocean of blue people, but the one not too far from us was different. If other people are blue and dark blue, this person started out blue but as you got closer to the center they turned darker and darker until their middle was a deep, dark blue. Jiraiya lowered me to the ground and I spun around in a circle looking around and I see familiar things, a large tree where the green is twisted in a spiral, a stream running through the center of town, and the large rock faces of green.

"Niko-kun, are you alright?"

I turned and looked upward to the deep, dark blue person and I kind of recognized the voice. He was the one that argued with star lady over something. He wasn't as tall as Orochimaru or Jiraiya but he was still taller than me. This man felt like the utter personification of safety. I could trust the deep, dak blue man with my life. He was like the feeling of a sturdy home and a warm hearth in the middle of a hurricane. I smiled to him and gave a brief wave.

"Hi."

I could hear the rumble of his chest when he laughed. He held out his hand and I looked back to Jiraiya who's hand waved at me to follow him. Turning back to the deep, dark blue I took his hand and started to follow him as we walked through the large green gates. I looked around and watched all the blue figures, the blue ones leaping around the tops of the green squares, it was all like I remembered.

"You seem interested in something Niko-kun."

"Wha?" I turned to the older man and looked up at his dark blue face and blinked. I shook my head and smiled, though I was kind of confused to be honest. I had always seen the green of the city from my room but I never got to walk it except for that last day in Konoha. I still remember the cool winters wind on my face, Kaa-chans hand in my own. Kaa-chan…..that's right, she's gone, gone forever. I guess my frown must have covered my face because as soon as I thought about her the deep, dark blue figure spoke to me.

"Something the matter Niko-kun?"

I shook my head not wanting to say anything but in reality it felt like my heart was breaking, and it hurt so badly.

"She's not gone forever you know, Tatsuki-san that is. As long as you keep her in your memory she will be in your heart forever. It is the same way with my own father, brother, and sister. They may be gone, but I hold them in my heart and everyday know they are with me. I hold their Will of Fire and through their Will I live on with them and they through me."

I felt his hand on my head and I knew he was right, she was not truly gone, but I still miss her. Was there any wrong in that?

It didn't take us long to reach the Hokage's tower that resided in the middle of the village. It was a tall cylinder of green with blue people running around and working inside. It was really cool.

"See something you enjoy?"

"Hm?"

"I said do you see something you enjoy."

"I can't see, I'm blind."

"Blind, but your eyes are fine."

"I've never been able to see, not really. Kaa-chan said it was something to do with being sick but I don't know. Kaa-chan said all the time that the blue and green stuff I can see wasn't there." I shrugged noncommitantly but I felt he had other questions just not for me.

"Do you mind if I get someone to check your eyes Niko-kun?"

I shrugged once again and noticed we had walked into one of the green squares. There were blue people in the walls, the ceiling and even in the floor. It was kind of cool. I took a tentative step onto the green floor and looked down at one of the blue people that were beneath the floor. I crouched down and stared at the ground and smiled. I waved to the figure, but I jumped back in fright as I saw two bright white orbs light up on their face. I scurried back and hit gainst the deep, dark blues leg and I clung to him.

"Niko-kun! What is the matter?"

"Th-th-the white eyed man. He scared me. Don't let him get me!"

I felt DDB pick me up, I clung to his neck and wrapped my legs around his torso, but no matter what I would try, I could still see the white-eyed blue man. With a wave of his hand DDB made the white-eyed man appear, his eyes fading to a normal blue color.

"It's ok Niko-kun, this is a friend of mine. His name is Usagi, and he is one of my guards. He is the one I wanted to take a look at your eyes."

I turned to the White-eyed man and waved tentatively to him, he returned the wave.

"Sandaime-sama, I think I know what is wrong with Niko-kun."

"Oh?"

"Indeed, his eyes have a unnecessary build up of chakra behind them. Something is blocking his eyes from being able to circulate so, my guess is his eyes had to adapt to the chakra saturation."

"Can you do anything for him?"

"I could try a brief pulse to force open the tenketsu, I would however caution that this should be done with a Iriyo-nin on hand."

"Thank you for your honesty Usagi-san." DDB placed a hand on my head and softly rubbed my scalp, I may have leaned into it and sighed in relief. Wait, what was that he said, build up of Chakra? In my eyes? Was that why I couldn't see? I thought I was blind, so did mother. What's an Iriyo-nin, why did that sound familiar?

"Niko-kun, something the matter?"

"What's an Iriyo-nin?" I looked upward to where I guess his eyes should be and cocked my head to the side. "Is that the people who hide in the corners?"

"No Niko-kun, an Iriyo-nin is like a doctor, but a ninja doctor."

"A ninja doctor?"

"Yes Niko-kun, a ninja doctor."

I was going to ask another question but I heard the door open and turned around, and there was a short woman. I started screaming, that red, the all encompassing, never ending sea of red and in the middle I saw it.

"KITSUNE!"

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This ends the first person chapters, I wanted to cover the first three years quickly to get to this point. Consider these two chapters a prologue of sorts, Niko's beginnings. Till the next chapter,

~Ardent Chronicler


	3. Chapter 1

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 **I DO NOT OWN NARUTO IN ANY SHAPE OR CAPACITY. I ONLY OWN MY FICTITIOUS OC'S.**

 **XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

 **Glossary: Scene breaks will be denoted by a line of X's**

"Speech"

' _Thoughts'_

" **Demonic or summons speech"**

' _ **Demonic or summons thoughts'**_

I got a good suggestion from reviewer GaoGod. I will be rending Jutsu in Japanese, and I will post a glossary at the end of the chapter for each Jutsu and their translation to English.

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 **From this point onward I will be sticking to the third-person-perspective.**

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"KITSUNE!"

Mito's eyes widened, this boy, her great-grandson looked on in utter terror. His Chocolate brown eyes, gotten from his mother no doubt, his silvery blue hair from his father. His eyes so wide with fright they look like a yolk ready to burst from a freshly cracked egg. Mito reeled back to the doorframe as Hiruzen wrapped the boy in his arms whispering to the boy and hiding his eyes with his hand.

What could have caused this reaction? Could the boy have inherited her families Kagura? No, this was different, he wasn't just able to identify a bijuu, but which it was. After all there is only one reason she would have been called a Kitsune. She reached her hand forward, she wanted nothing but to embrace the boy, her great-grandchild, her Niko. A squeal of fear stopped her as her hand began to shake. Why, this shouldn't be happening, not with him. She covered her mouth with a hand to stifle a cry.

Hiruzen lifted Niko into his arms and motioned for his guard to leave. He hated seeing Mito this way, she was a woman he regarded as family, and to see her in so much pain it hurt him. Hiruzen quickly walked past Mito and took her hand, pulling her along behind them. He knew where they needed to be so he took them, both of them to the basement of the Hokages tower, to the sealing chamber. That is the one place the Kyuubi's chakra would be suppressed, and the one place Niko would be able to see her, not just a beast.

He ushered Mito through the stone archway and the thick wooden door. Closing it behind them he shut the door and made a half seal engaging the sealing formula. The boy in his arms relaxed somewhat, he looked to Mito and saw a look of thanks in her eyes. Setting the boy gently down he turned Niko around.

"Niko-kun, this is someone you need to talk to. This is Uzumaki Mito-sama, she is a very good friend of mine."

Niko was utterly terrified, what if the fox came back, what if the fox brought the weird dog thing that the other man had. Jiraiya wouldn't be here to save him, and he doubted DDB would be able to save him. DDB seemed old, so old he couldn't even imagine this old frail man being able to kill the fox or dog thing. He reached behind him and took DDB's hand in his own, so much larger than his own. Slowly turning his head Niko looked and saw the same figure that was once dyed with red, now a vibrant blue, flowing slowly, seemingly pulling away. Niko learned this pull rather recently in Uzushiogakure, she was afraid.

Niko took a few steps forward, testing the waters. Stumbling the next thing he knew he was falling. Suddenly caught, two soft hands beneath his arms holding him up, he looked up and it was Mito. He felt it as soon as he was close, something he felt from his Kaa-chan, and now from Mito. Pure, unrestricted, unrefined, raw, and powerful love. This woman loved him more than her own life right now. Niko wrapped his arms around her neck and hugged her tightly, he knew now this woman was important to him, orange fox be damned.

Mito froze when she felt his small arms wrap around her neck, she leaned against his neck and wrapped him tightly in a hug. Lifting him off of the ground and against her chest she smiled and began to weep

Mitos crying confused Niko until he saw the way her blue moved, it was still happy. He guessed that both happiness and sadness can be one in the same at some points, it was strange.

"Why are you happy sad?" Niko felt her shift and he turned looking her in the eye. "You shouldn't be happy sad, just happy happy."

"I am happy Niko-chan, I am so happy you are alright." Mito rubbed her cheek atop his small head. "I am so happy I am crying because I can't keep all the happiness inside."

Nko tilted his head to the side, he didn't understand, but it felt right. Something was urging him forward and he always listened to the funny feeling before. He smiled and nuzzled her cheek and laid his head onto her shoulder. Feeling her relax with him in her arms just felt, right.

"Mito-sama, how about you bring Niko-kun home for the night, eh?"

Mito smiled and leaned backwards. Looking Niko in the eye she smiled. "What do you think Niko-chan?"

"Yeah."

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Mito's house was a large house, not big enough per say to be a mansion, but it was large. The wide porch that rounded the house was made of a dark maroon wood, the walls painted cream, and the roof, accents, and supports the same red wood. A small staircase led to the front door of the house, on either side were wooden dragons encircling a sphere with the Senju clan emblem. Mito was proud of her quaint little home, Hashirama let her design it and he made it, exactly how she wanted it. The house was simple, a five bedroom, two bathroom, with a large open central room. The central room had no flooring or roof and was completely open to the elements. In the center was Mito's rock garden that she had spent many a night creating and taking care of.

Closing the front door to the house with her right heel, she slipped off her sandals and stepped into the house. Hearing quick little feet padding across the floor she smiled warmly. A small redheaded girl, not even six years of age bounded around the corner. The young girl, not even reaching past Mito's hip had rear-length vibrant red hair, violet eyes, and the complexion of a polar bear.

"I'm home Kushina-chan, and we have a guest. This is Niko-kun, he will be staying with us from now on, ok?"

Kushina eyed the sleeping kid in her grandmother figures arms. He seemed okay enough, but she'll just have to bug him about his story later. She had ramen to get back to 'ttebane!

"Mn." Kushina turned on her heel and was about to run back to the kitchen but something she saw caught her eye. "Mito-baa, is he related to you?"

"Hm?"

"Niko-kun, he looks like you, more darker, but looks like you."

"OH, well, Niko-kun is my great grandson. You remember Tsunade-hime?"

"Mhm."

"Well, she is his Kaa-san. She was hurting, and she made a bad judgement call and gave him away."

"Who took him?"

"Remember you're big sister Tatsuki-chan?"

"Nee-chan!"

"Yes Kushina-chan, well, your sister took him home and raised him as her own son."

"You mean."

"Yes Kushina-chan, he is your nephew."

Kushina's eyes widened, she was an aunt? She looked to the boy and back to her grandmother, then to the boy, then back to Mito. What?

"What?"

"Yes Kushina-chan, Tatsuki-chan adopted Naruto, he is your nephew."

Mito watched Kushina's face. Emotions changing like the minds of men, confusion, fear, anger, confusion again, caution, confusion again, then dread.

"Mito-baa."

"Yes love?"

"If he is here, and not with Nee-chan. Where is Nee-chan?"

…..

"Baa-chan?"

"She's gone Kushina-chan, they're all gone. We are the last Uzumaki."

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Three knocks on the door signaled their arrival.

"Enter."

Hiruzen watched as Jiraiya and Orochimaru both entered, Jiraiya sporting bandages around his neck.

"Report, both of you. Tell me how this happened."

Jiraiya stepped forward.

"Jiraiya, Sannin, Leader of the squad sent to relieve the ANBU stationed at Uzushiogakure. My team entered into Uzu no Kuni approximately thirteen days ago. Upon entering the surrounding areas of Uzushiogakure, myself followed by Sakumo Hatake, Orochimaru, Otakumaru now deceased, Fumaru Yamanaka now deceased, Shina Aburame clan head of the Aburame now deceased, Haruna Uchiha now deceased, and ANBU captain Mantis now deceased. We had been set upon by the combined forces of Mizugakure, Iwagakure, and Kumogakure. Shina, Otakumaru, and Fumaru fought one wave as Mantis, Orochimaru, Shina, and I fought another. We lost Shina, Otakumaru, and Fumaru quickly. Mantis, Orochimaru, Shina, and I moved into the city with the remainder of the Uzumaki Crown Guard. Once inside Orochimaru and I met with Uzumaki Clan head and Uzushiogakure's Uzukage Koga Uzumaki and his wife Moka Uzumaki. We offered assistance to get them to safety however, heiress Tatsuki Uzumaki and her adopted son Niko Uzumaki had been at their estate home on the opposite side of the village. Orochimaru and operative Mantis were sent along side half of the Uzumaki Crown Guard to retrieve the heiress and Niko. Shina and I moved with the Crown Guard in protecting the Uzukage until the Jinchuriki attacked. Visual confirmation for the Gobi, Yonbi, Sanbi, Hachibi, Nibi, and Rokubi were marked and conveyed across the village. Shina and I, while guarding the Uzukage, were set upon and fought both the Nibi and Yonbi. Using sealing and summons I neutralized the Nibi Jinchuriki permanently with Uzukage-sama. Shina fell in battle with the Yonbi, who was eliminated by the Crown Guard. Confirmation of the Rokubi, Sanbi, Nibi, Yonbi, and Hachibi Jinchuriki's elimination. We moved the Crown Guard, Uzukage, and his wife to the assigned safe guarded location. Orochimaru, Agent Mantis, and both the heiress and Niko arrived at the library vault location we reconvened. After allocating the Uzumaki family into the vault Orochimaru, Mantis, and I moved with the guard to clear the city. Not long after we left the Mizukage and Tsuchikage assaulted the city causing mass destruction. Mantis left to handle the Mizukage along with the Captain of the guard, while Orochimaru and I engaged Oonoki directly. We fought Oonoki to a near standstill until he called the retreat. We heard it from his own mouth, the Uzukage, his wife, and the heiress had been eliminated. The heiresses child had been taken by the Gobi jinchuriki, we started our pursuit. After two days of pursuit we managed to gain head and assault the Gobi jinchuriki and his guard. Orochimaru retrieved Niko while I took down the Gobi Jinchuriki. Final count of the battle stands as such; Konohagakure lost 10 ninja including the standing ANBU team, the assault forces lost 6 jinchuriki, 7 thousand shinobi, and the Mizukage. The whole of Uzushiogakure had been destroyed, and with it the Uzumaki clan. There are no known survivors of the clan outside of our esteemed Mito-sama, Kushina-chan, and Niko-kun. Mission ended in failure. That is all Sandaime-sama."

Hiruzen waved his hand and Jiraiya stepped backwards.

"Anything to add Orochimaru?"

"No sensei."

"Very well, you are dismissed."

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	4. Chapter 2

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 **I DO NOT OWN NARUTO IN ANY SHAPE OR CAPACITY. I ONLY OWN MY FICTITIOUS OC'S.**

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 **Glossary: Scene breaks will be denoted by a line of X's**

"Speech"

' _Thoughts'_

" **Demonic or summons speech"**

' _ **Demonic or summons thoughts'**_

I got a good suggestion from reviewer GaoGod. I will be rending Jutsu in Japanese, and I will post a glossary at the end of the chapter for each Jutsu and their translation to English.

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 **This is probably going to be the final chapter before my thanksgiving break is over. I will have 2 weeks before I will be able to work on a new chapter due to Review week and then my Finals. Dec. 7th is my last day for finals, so sometime after that will be the time I will start posting more. I will be off till March 9th, so I will have a few months.**

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It has been a long year, getting adjusted to the people and the village. It was harder to admit than anything before. He missed the ocean, the houses, the smells, the touches, the kind people, Kaa-chan, Obaa-sama, Ojii-sama. He misses the cool marble of the courts floor, the cold winters, the muggy summers. He missed the fishermen tales about sea monsters and pirates, he missed the ninjas who would give him rides or tell him about their missions. He missed the sweet fruits and the bitter drinks, he especially missed cooking with his Kaa-chan. He missed her heartbeat, her laugh, her voice, her warm touches, her cuddles. It took him months, but when he finally sat down and accepted her being gone he cried, he cried and ran and it nearly took a full day to find him. Niko was hurt, and angry, and so sad, but he eventually came back to his new home, his Obaa-chan's home.

The worst of the past year were the nightmares, they had begun to be more frequent. He dreamed of people who he had heard only of in passing, people he didn't know, events that have happened, and things that had not happened yet. His worst one was the dream of the silver haired man and the blonde woman above him, all of the blood and the tears. He felt for the blonde woman, she seemed so nice in his other dreams. Not all of the nightmares were bad though, some were vivid memories of his own or of good things. He dreamed of Konoha, of her people, of times better than the hushed whispers of a war unbeknownst to the majority. The Second World War is what they called it, and the destruction of his home was their first step. He dreamed of the end of the war to, the death of thousands of shinobi, the near death of Orochimaru to a Suna-nin, Jiraiya's scar on his neck, and even of Hiruzen personally getting into a battle and eviscerating thousands of ninja.

The best part so far though was Kushina-oba, Kaa-chans little sister. He loved her best, but he wouldn't tell Mito that to her face. Kushina was a glowing beam of sunlight, of love and happiness, of attitude, and a no shit taken attitude. She coddled him but to be honest he liked it, he loved cuddles with Kushina-oba, she smelled and felt the best. She had been teaching him more words and how to write, even though Mito was teaching him how to draw funny shapes, he loved those lessons a bunch. Oh, Kushina-oba had started the Academy too! She would come home and tell him about people and about stuff they learned, it was cool. Though he had to scare off a blonde guy, he was stalking his Kushina-oba and NO ONE stalked, hurt, or said anything bad about Kushina-oba or they would face his wrath. He had to admit, he had a killer bite. Kushina was also the only one who believed him about his eyes and his dreams, not even Mito thought they were real, only his Kushina-oba.

The one person who never really seemed to be around unless it was time for lessons had to be Mito-obaa. She was always being called away for something or another so the majority of the day he was being watched over by Kushina-oba when she wasn't in the academy. When she was, he was taken to the daycare at the academy until Kushina or Mito came to get him. Mito always apologized for her absence, or for the work she had to do but he knew it was a lie. She apologized because she felt he had been angry or hurt, but to be honest he didn't care. If he had to put it, Mito was important to him, like a friend or a boss, but Kushina, she had become his everything. His Oba-chan was his caretaker, his teacher, his mother, friend, his sister, and even his punisher when need be. Mito was more of a demi-present sentinel. She watched him, she made sure he was alive but she wouldn't play, or talk about her day. She was just, well, there. The only thing she would do with him any longer was medical check-ups in preparation for his eye thing, or she would teach him shapes to draw and would tell him if he got it wrong or not. He liked those lessons 'cause he was good at drawing, Mito said it was because of his Kaa-chan, she started him drawing ever since he could remember so his calligraphy was great for someone that was pre-teen in age.

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The white walls were familiar to her. Mito had helped build this place after all, and people thought the Shodaime was the one with architectural knowledge. When she had designed the building she had split the hospital into six sections, five floors, a basement, and a sub-basement. They were heading to the second floor, third left section towards the front of th building. She let go of Nikos hand as she arrived at the doorway. Stepping through the open doors she smiled and waved to the woman at the front desk.

"Good evening Senju-sama."

"Good evening Inuzuka-san, tell me, is Hyuuga Sensei in today?"

"For the nine thirty appointment?"

"Yes."

"He is, please follow me this way, Hyuuga-sensei is with a patient currently but he will be done. In the meantime I have some basic paperwork for you to fill out. Just a formality, Niko-kun hasn't been to the optometry department."

"Thank you Inuzuka-san. Niko-kun, come."

Niko looked around, this place was familiar. The bustling blue and green, the blue hands that would glow green, the faint blue that seemed to almost ficker out at a single moment. This was the place he came from, the original green place! He wondered if Star Lady was here, or if that nice doctor who would sing him lullabies was here, but he was snapped back to the world by Mito's voice.

Doctor comes and takes them back

Mito watched as Niko turned to look at her and trotted forward. He had to give praise to Kushina, she had chosen Niko's wardrobe and it looked nice on him. He had a tie near the bottom of his mid-back length hair that kept it from swaying about. Niko also had on a simple grey Yukata-like top with silver colored trim along the seams. Tied by a grey obi with silver lining as well. He wore long dark blue shinobi style pants tied at the ankle by bandages. Blue standard shinobi-sandals so he could get used to how they felt. The only thing that seemed out of place was the necklace he wore outside of the top. It was a simple thing, a silver circle suspended by two half loops sticking from the top. In the middle of the circle wrapped in silver chain that seemed to hold it up was a bright blue gemstone. This was Tatsuki's necklace, one that she had given to him for his birthday before the massacre.

Niko placed his hand in Mito's but she pulled her hand away.

"You are a noble Niko-kun, you need to act like it. Kushina might fight me tooth and nail, but you will not. Back straight, chest up, and eyes forward."

Niko felt like someone had slapped him, he nodded slowly and tried to do what Mito asked. He followed her around the hospital until they were stopped outside of a room. The smaller blue figure opened the door to the room and Mito led him inside.

"Just get comfortable, the doctor will be in in a few minutes."

"Thank you Inuzuka-san."

Mito sat in a chair and began the paperwork.

Name: Niko Uzumaki

Age: 4

Date of Birth: 10th of October

Eye color: Brown

Height: 39 inches

Weight: 32 pounds

Known Family Illnesses: Lung Cancer, Arthritis, High Blood Pressure, Albinism

Emergency Contact: Mito Uzumaki; Rank: Elite Jonin; ID# 0000235

Closest Kin: Mito Uzumaki; Rank: Elite Jonin; ID# 0000235

Summary of visit: Build up of chakra in the ocular nerves of both eyes. Not known how long, but presumed since birth. The cause of visit is for a procedure to remove the blockage and to hopefully allow sight.

Mito sighed looking up from the paperwork to see Niko staring blankly at the wall.

"Niko-kun, what is the matter?"

"Nightmares, thinkin about em."

"Oh? Tell me about it."

"Well, in the first one you were sick, laying in a bed, and you stopped breathing. People started panicking saying the Kyuubi was being released. Hiruzen-san brought Kushina in and they wrote something on her tummy. Then there was a red flash and when it was over the red that is in your blue became the red in her blue. She was hurting so bad, she was crying and calling for you but your eyes were open and just blankly staring at the wall. Hiruzen-san picked Kushina-oba up and took her out, and the doctors wrapped you up."

Mito blinked, this was strange, that sounds like what she and Hiruzen had planned for her eventual death. Kushina to take the beast, harness it, and become a weapon for Konoha.

"Tell me some more of your dreams Niko-kun."

"You don't believe me, just like Kaa-chan didn't till it was too late."

"What do you mean Niko-kun?"

"I had dreams about monsters and people destroying Uzu for a long time. I told Kaa-chan and she never believed me, until the day it happened, just like it did in my dream. Six monsters, larger than any of the buildings, frogs and big snakes fighting them, blue domes protecting people but getting squished. Kaa-chan told me she believed me when we were about to get taken."

"These dreams, do you have others?"

"Mhm, about other people."

"Oh? Tell me some of them."

Mito had a hunch, but she wanted it to be confirmed first.

Niko tells her about Dan's death, Tobirama's death, Hashirama's death, Madaras undeath

"Well, the best one I can remember happened a long time ago. I saw a guy with white or silver hair I guess, he was hurt badly, bleeding from his tummy. Star Lady was sitting next to him and her hands were glowing green. They were talking but I couldn't hear anything except his name was Dan and her name was Tsunade. She seemed so sad but he seemed so happy. Then his blue vanished, and he died. Then there is the one about the tall brown haired man, he had cool red armor, it was so cool! Then I saw him surrounded by people in brown coats and grey coats. They had masks, and there were so many of them it was stupid. He put his hands together and the green did what he said! Trees came from everywhere and started to kill people, but then two big guys, a blonde one and a grey haired one, they said their names were Ginkaku and Kinkaku. Well, they turned red and grew red tails and it was seriously scary Obaa-chan! I thought they would get me, but then the brown haired man used the trees and managed to grab them, but one of them used some sort of fan and a pot or something and managed to hurt the brown haired man badly. I liked him, he was really really cool. Oba-chan woulda said he was badass but she told me that that was a bad word her friend Mikoto said. Then there is the silver haired man with red eyes, he was with a bunch of people in black armor, but his blue armor was cooler, and it had fur! Well, he got serious and started talking about Hokage stuff and then said he would leave the village to one of the people. Well the white haired man disappeared and then appeared in a clearing filled with masked people and those weird guys from the brown haired guys dream! White haired man killed them so fast it was stupid, but he ended up losing an arm and he had a hole in his tummy, it looked like it hurt a lot. Then he died, but so did the silver and blond haired guys. Then there is the on that confuses me so much. It's weird, I see the brown haired man and a black spiky haired man fighting, I saw you there too! You took the big fox guy and put him in your tummy, like they want to do to Oba-chan. Well, brown haired man hurt the black haired guy pretty bad and he fell to the ground. Well the brown haired man and you took the black haired guy home and put him in a coffin, I think he was supposed to be dead but, later on the coffin opened and he sat up! He wasn't hurt, not even a booboo! His left eye was white though, it was creepy, but he got up and left like nothing happened! Those are the ones I've had since I came here Obaa-chan, sorry."

Mito felt utter dread, there is no way, no way in hell he should know ANY of that. Tobi-kuns death, Hashi-anata's death was locked tighter than anything, no one should know except her and Tobi-kun. He wasn't even born yet when Dan died and there was no way Tatsuki knew of his death. Then Madara's fight, her part, and even Madara apparently living?! None of this he should know. Mitos spine tingled, her mouth dried like she had eaten ash, she licked her lips and was about to ask another question when the doctor arrives.

Niko smiled as he saw a familiar blue, and next t him was another blue but he didnt recognize it.

"Usagi-san!"

Kenta smiled hearing the child shout out his designation. He walked over to the kid and rubbed the crown of his head. He noticed Mito-sama looking like a ghost but he had to guess it was her health.

"How are you doing Niko-kun?"

"I'm ok I guess, more nightmares but Kushina-oba makes them go away sometimes."

"That's good, now, Hyuuga-sensei and I are going to try to fix your eyes today, that sound good?"

"Mhm."

"Good, now, Hyuuga-sensei and I are going to make our eyes glow, ok?"

"Okidoki Usagi-san."

Niko flinched as the bright white orbs glew so vibrantly it hurt his eyes. He flinched but then stilled as he focused on their chests instead.

"I see what you mean, a build up of Yin chakra in the Ocular orbit, it seems to be leaking into his ocular nerve as well."

"Do you think we can clear it?"

"Oh without a doubt Usagi-san, just one little tap to either side of his head should hit the point to release the chakra."

"Alright, you hear that Niko-kun? Easy as pie, are you ready?"

"Yup!"

"Alright, hold still."

Niko felt a poke on either side of his head then there was pain, nothing but pain and he screamed, then all was black.

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Niko awakes in his subconscious and talks to what is left of the man in the wall.

Niko opens his eyes, his surroundings were strange, like a big grey brick building. IT was a single large room with dozens of walls, the floor seemed to not even exist but he was standing. Looking around he saw something that scared him or a second. A man half in a crack in the wall, he was missing most of an arm, the other one completely gone, missing the right half of his head and his left eye.

"Niko, you're back!"

"Huh, who're you?"

"You don't remember me? We met a long time ago when you were still in the hospital with Tsunade watching after you."

"What? Wait, that was you? What happened to you?"

"Well, I wasn't ready to go yet so I stuck around, but it's starting to hurt you."

"Oh, ok, well, can I help?"

"Yeah Niko, you can. My name is Joseph Wellbourne, yours is Niko Uzumaki right?"

"Mhm what'd you mean by that last time, that I shouldn't forget what you were giving to me?"

"Well, I am disappearing, slower than I thought but I am. As I vanish and break down I am mixing some of my memories with you, you have been seeing them as dreams. Well they are visions, of past, present, and future. You must not tell anyone everything, never let them know about your gift unless you trust them completely and wholly. Niko, things are going to be hard, and get even harder, there is another two wars coming, each more brutal than the last. Whatever you do, do NOT stand out, please, just live Niko, live a happy life, a full life."

"I don't understand."

"You will Niko, now come over here. It's time, out soul is split in two, we need to become one."

"Will it hurt?"

"No, I think it'll feel nice."

Joseph sticks the half of his arm that is still there out and smiles softly as he feels Niko take it.

"Live well Niko."

Joseph turns white and blue and flows into Niko's skin seeping through like a crack in the floor. Niko felt better, a lot better. He could feel again but now he had these flashes, visions popping through his head too fast to comprehend. With a flash he was gone.

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Niko wakes up in the hospital but this time is different, he sees colors

His head was splitting, it hurt so damn bad. At the same time, he felt good, whole, he hadn't felt like this in a long time, since the loss of his Kaa-chan.

"Niko-kun?"

Niko turns his head to the left, he noticed, he was in a white room with a single window across from him. The window was lined with cream colored drapes. The rest of the room was a stark white, barring the strange grey bar near the door. He looked to where the voice came and he saw her. An elderly woman, wrinkles around her eyes, her neck, the sides of her mouth, faded red hair nearly white.

"Who are you?"

Mito blinked rapidly at the statement, he didn't remember her?

"It's me Niko-kun, Mito-obaa. Let me get the doctor, just relax."

Niko watched her leave the room, her grey and purple kimono wrapped tightly around her frame, the strange paper hanging from her faded red locks. It was so strange, this was Mito? She looked so much different than the dream he had.

A knock sounded from the door and it creaked open. There stood a tall black haired man with black eyes. He had a look of constipation on his face but he smiled at Niko.

"Good morning Niko-kun, I m Kotone Uchiha. Do you remember where you are?"

"Konoha?"

"Yes but where."

"Last thing I can remember is, the hospital?"

"Yes Niko-kun, you are in the hospital. You have been for seven months."

"Wha?"

Niko blinked, seven months? How, but, he was only aslee for lie maybe a few minutes!

"What do you mean seven months?"

"During your procedure the Yin chakra back flooded through your brain instead of out through the tenketsu like Hyuuga-sensei thought it would. It resulted in parts of your brain shutting down and in a way, rebooting themselves."

"Wha?"

"You went to sleep Niko-kun, and you didn't want to wake up."

"Oh, well that's stupid."

Mito laughed to herself, it was kind of stupid.

"Well, we will do a work up and you should be able to leave in a few days. We just need to do some exercises with you so you can walk straight."

"Oh, ok. Wait, Mito-obaa, why can't I see the blue and green stuff anymore?"

"Well, do you mind if I do this Sensei?"

"Mhm, go ahead, I'll go get a nurse ready for his exercises."

Nico watched the man go but turned back to Mito.

"The chakra that had been building up since you were in the womb had saturated your eyes. So much so that while you were in your Kaa-chan you're eyes mutated. It seems you have a doujutsu that we don't know anything about Niko-kun. That is why once you are out and we begin your physical training you will be meeting with a close friend of mine."

"Who?"

"His name is Kagami Uchiha."

Niko just wants to go home

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	5. Chapter 3

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 **I DO NOT OWN NARUTO IN ANY SHAPE OR CAPACITY. I ONLY OWN MY FICTITIOUS OC'S.**

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 **Glossary: Scene breaks will be denoted by a line of X's**

"Speech"

' _Thoughts'_

" **Demonic or summons speech"**

' _ **Demonic or summons thoughts'**_

I got a good suggestion from reviewer GaoGod. I will be rending Jutsu in Japanese, and I will post a glossary at the end of the chapter for each Jutsu and their translation to English.

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 **So I managed to squeeze in one last chapter before I return to school, great isn't it?**

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Kushina smiled widely, Niko had been able to quote the ABC's forward and backwards this time! He could even count to three hundred which astounded her. She couldn't help but rub her cheek against his own.

"Oba-chan! Stop!"

Kushina stops and giggles, she is so proud of this boy, her little Niko-kun. She picks up the flash cards from the floor and smiles.

"Okay Niko-chan, now time for memory training!"

Niko groaned, he just got home and Kushina was drilling him again, but he wouldn't tell her no.

"Alright, now watch the cards while I flash them and tell me what they showed." Kushina smiled and started showing him the cards quickly, enough to challenge him before. And ox, bow, arrow, kunai, Konoha symbol, a dog, her name, his name, her name again, a spoon, a seal, three dots, a circle, and a triangle twice in a row.

"Now, what did you see?"

"Um, a cow, bow, arrow, kunai, konoha snail thing, dog, Kushina-oba, my name, Kushina-oba, a spoon, storage seal, three dots, a circle, and two triangles."

Kushina blinked, she looked at the cards and to him, then back to the cards. He never got to remembering her name before, he NEVER went past the dog. She shuffled the cards and showed him again.

"Dog, Ox, Arrow, Kushina-oba, spoon, storage seal, dots, Kushina-oba, triangle, my name, circle, triangle, konoha snail, bow, kunai."

Niko was frustrated, after he woke up he knew a lot, he could do addition, multiplication, division, subtraction, algebra, trigonometry, geometry, calculus, physics, chemistry, biology, psychology, sociology, he understood learning styles, learning objectives, he knew grammar in and out, side to side. He could recite in his head boos he had never read, ones Kushina and Mito probably never had before either. He understood the basics of politics, he understood large words, his vocabulary had deepend. He knew all of this and knew he had only Joseph to thank. He was bored by Kushina's elementary training on memorization, it was just boring.

Kushina couldn't believe it, what was going on. She was going to ask Niko about why he can remember but Mito's voice interrupted her.

"Niko-kun, come here now, it is time for your practice."

Niko sighed and waved by to Kushina as he padded down the long, exposed hallway. He came to Mito's office and knocked thrice before entering.

"Good you remember to knock this time."

Niko nodded and climbed into the chair next to her. He noted that she was reading combat reports, economical documents mainly about finances, and a casualty count. HE went to doodling the assigned shapes Mito had made him perform and he stopped mid way through.

"Mito-obaa."

"Hm?"

"You're teaching me Fuinjutsu."

"Yes, I am, I figured the earlier we start the better you will become."

Niko shrugs, he had no complaint, he had planned on asking to do this earlier.

"Good, now that you know I can explain. I have been teaching you three simple seals, a storage seal, an explosive seal, and a barrier seal. Out of the three which do you find the easiest to draw?"

"The one I have been doodling the last three practices over."

"Ah, the barrier, I had a feeling. Our family has always had an affinity for the supplementary Fuinjutsu arts."

"What do you mean affinity for them?"

"Well, think of the Uzumaki family as a circle split into three equal parts. One part is the offensive side of the clan, they focus on dangerous but combat effective seals. The second part is the defensive clan, the ones who our direct lineage is apart of, our supplementary seals. Then there is the third type, the arcanists. Those who practice old and forbidden arts, and those who still hold the old gods and practice their arts. They made pacts with gods and goddesses to gain powers through the seals, it was truly a thing to behold. Their seals could manipulate the elements easier than ninjutsu, and with a single pulse of chakra could wipe men out."

"What happened to them, why didn't they protect the village?"

"Well, about ten years ago, your Ojii-chan pushed the Arcanists to the outer edge of Uzushiogakure to live. Their side of the village was the one first hit in the attack."

"Ah, ok."

Mito tries to bring u the dreams but Niko plays it off like he doesn't remember after the coma

"Niko-kun, I have a question."

"Yes Mito-obaa?"

"Do you remember our conversation, about the dreams?"

Niko nearly froze but he continued his work.

"What dreams?"

"Your nightmares, you were describing some of them to me."

"I can't remember much about my nightmares. The Sensei said I was going to have memory problems for a while."

Mito feels suspicious but if he doesn't remember she isn't going to force it, eventually he will either remember it or will stop acting. She has to be careful, if he does have extrasensory perception it would be a boon that can't be ignored.

"You'll tell me if you do, right?"

"Yep."

"Good, now get to practice, and sit up, eyes forward, you are a little lord not a flea ridden commoner."

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It had been two months since he came home. Niko had been adjusting to being able to see, it was strange and he kept getting scared by people popping up out of nowhere, he didn't like it. He can't wait for Kagami to show up so he can begin training on how to use his eyes better. It sounded like fun AND he wouldn't get scared as badly anymore. He kind of missed the blue and green, he couldn't tell when someone was lying or didn't want to talk about something. He couldn't tell when someone was sad or not and it was getting on his nerves.

"Kushina-chan, Niko-kun, can you please come to my room?"

Kushina blinked, Mito knew she was working on her explosive seal. Mito never wanted Kushina to do anything when she was working on her combat seals.

"Mito-obaa, what's wrong?"

"I said come here children, and do not lollygag."

Kushina sighed and helped Niko up, the two smiled and began walking to her room.

"Maybe she has presents!"

"I don't think so Kushina-oba."

"Ma, ma, Niko-kun, I think she has something special."

The two enter the room and hear Mito hacking up a lung. Her wet coughs resounding through the room.

Kushina is officially worried, Mito should not be making sounds like that.

"Mito-obaa?"

"Ah, sorry Kushina-chan, Niko-kun. Now, we have to speak of the future."

"The future?" Kushina was puzzled, there was no reason to talk about the future, it seemed unnecessary.

"Yes the future, Kushina-chan, Niko-kun, the be frank with you, I am dying. It is a genetic disease that has plagued my family for generations. In fact Niko has already show the illness and is in remission for now."

"What?" Kushin turns and looks at Niko who just shrugs. He just SHRUGGED, Mito just said whatever is killing her already happened to Niko and has a chance to come BACK, what the heck!

"You heard me Kushina-chan, do not play stupid, it doesn't suit you. Now, I know I am going to die soon, the illness has reached out from my lungs and into my body. The sensei says I have maybe three weeks, or four.

Niko huddles up against Kushina, she was freaking out and needed his help. He took her right hand into his left and smiled at her snuggling up to her side. He felt her shaking, he could feel the anxiety rolling off of her, the fear of the unknown. He knew it wasn't her fault but he couldn't help it, he hated Mito right now for making his Kushina-oba act like this. He also knew her symptoms were probably being exasturbated by the Kyuubi's chakra frolliking around her system right now.

"Now, as you both know I am the Jinchuriki to the Kyuubi no Kitsune and that when I die it will have to be resealed."

Niko's eyes widened, no, this was too early, she can't be doing this now! Kushina wasn't ready, emotionally, financially, or physically! She couldn't just shirk this off on a seven year old!

"It's going to be me isn't it." Kushina closed her eyes as the tears began to leak from her eyes. She tried not to cry but she was terrified. She knew there had to be an alternate reason that she was chosen to come to Konoha. She thought it was because she had a similar Uzumaki trait to Mito, ut it was so much more than that. "It's because our chains isn't it, we can suppress the bijuu chakra with them. That is why you have had me practicing them since I came here."

"You are correct Kushina-chan, you are to be the second Jinchuriki of the Kyuubi no Kitsune."

"No, Mito-obaa, you can't do that to Kushina-oba, please. I'll do it I'll hold it, please don't hurt her!" Niko stepped forward and was by Mito's bed, his eyes wide and full of fear. He can't let his Kushina-oba get hurt. What greeted him wasn't just words, but a slap across the cheek that sent him against the wall with a loud thump.

"Mid your place and hold your tongue Niko-kun."

Niko stands, he feels the energy around him and his vision fades to the blue and green again. He stares dead into the center of Mito's chakra and snarls sending a burst of the green. He steps forward and spits blood on the floor.

"You will regret that Mito-san, I curse you for this. To be deaf, dumb, blind, and mute in the next life. By Izanagi I swear it, you will pay." Niko heard the two of them gasp but stormed out of the rom flinging the door open. Slamming it behind him he ran to his and Kushina's room. He would have no part of this, this, this misbelief, this abomination, no one would hurt Kushina-oba NO ONE.

Kushina's eyes widen, she was taught by Mito, and Niko probably by Tatsuki-nee, hat a curse sworn to Izanagi was as serious as a death threat. She saw Mito's eyes widen then sadden as tears began to fill her eyes.

"Kushina-chan, the night I am about to die you will be brought to the Hokage's tower. In the basement is a room that will be used for the sealing. Now, leave me."

"Obaa-chan."

"I SAID LEAVE ME." Mito watched Kushina take a step back and her eyes flow with tears. She was about to apologize when Kushina ran from her room crying. God damnit, she was two for two now. She still couldn't believe Niko's declaration, had she not been family and realized he was just lashing out as a child, she would have sent him to the police force for a threat on her life. You do NOT swear on Izanagi's name, to do so was, was, barbaric, hateful, spiteful, it was a direct wish to a god that the said action should occur, they showed they truly wished that.

Kushina runs into her and Niko's room and she sees him crying on her bed, the bruise already settling on his cheek in a dark colored tone. She ran over and hugged him tightly crying into the top of his head. She laid down cuddling up to him the two shedding tears with each other over Mito's words and actions. Kushina didn't know how long or how fast, but she eventually fell asleep.

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Niko wakes up, he understands the situation but he won't accept it as a fact

Niko groaned as he began to stir from his sleep. He could feel Kushina-oba curled up next to him and wrapping her arms around him. He looked at her and his anger renewed, how dare she make plans to hurt Kushina-oba, no one gets to hurt her. He gently removed the arm over his torso and slid from the bed careful not to disturb her. Sitting on the edge of the bed he smiled softly looking down at her. He would protect her smile for as long as he can, he swears it. He sighs as he sees her eyes flutter open still red from the tears she shed.

"Morning Kushina-oba."

"Morning Niko-kun."

Kushina stretches like a cat and stands on the bed, taking a step off and landing on her feet she motions for him to follow her so they can make some breakfast. She giggles seeing the cowlick formed on the crown of his head. She licked her palm and worked to smooth it down, his exasperated groan causing her to cackle. She nodded at her work as the cowlick was gone, she sighed as she pulled the end of his hair up and removed the hair tie.

"You need to remove this every night, it might get tangled in and we'd have to cut your hair to get it out. Come on, let's get to making some breakfast, how does eggs and toast sound?"

Niko smiled and nodded, taking Kushina's hand the two left the room. He liked the house in the morning, the floor being exposed to the elements due to the open middle portion was nice and cool in the morning. Niko stopped when he realized Kushina had stopped walking and ended up tugging on her arm.

"Niko-kun, stay here." Kushina let his hand go and began walking towards Mitos room. The door was wide open and there was blood on the inside of the light wooden door. She approached the room and almost gagged on the scent of blood, she slapped both hands over her face from the smell. She peeked around the corner and what she saw chilled her to the bone. There was Mito, slouched back against the bed, missing her eyes, red spots where her ears should be, her mouth open and blood soaking the front of her nightgown. What chilled her the most was her throat, it was just, mostly gone. She could see Mito's vertebrae sticking out from the wound, and it seemed torn by teeth marks, animal teeth marks. Kushina couldn't hold it in any longer and she screamed bloody murder. She scrambled back from the room and heard Niko running to her but all she could see was Mito's face, her body and room soaked in blood. It was on the ceiling dripping, over the walls, the floor, her gown torn by claw marks. It almost looked like a wolf had mauled her. She felt Niko fall next to her and he wrapped his arms around her head pulling her against his chest.

"Don't look Kushina-oba." Niko was terrified, whatever did this could still be here. He was terrified, and weak, and there was nothing he could do. He was supposed to protect Kushina-oba, but there was nothing he could do. He saw her, and it finally hit him, his curse. Dear god, his curse came true, what, what had he done! Niko was about to say something as his vision fades to the colors of chakra and he sees it. Her wounds filled with nature chakra, every inch of wounds, the eye sockets, her neck, ears, mouth, filled to the brim with green. He shuts his eyes but he still sees it, for the first time in his life he hated seeing the colors.

Kushina remembers what to do, she was told by Mito, if something ever happened to flare her chakra as high as she could. So she did, she reached in deep and pushed out as hard as she could. She felt Niko tense next to her but she didn't care, her Obaa-chan was gone. She cried harder and louder grabbing fist fulls of Niko's shirt. A loud crash happened and she heard Niko shout. She looked up and saw the white haired Jiraiya, the sleek black haired Orochimaru, and the brown haired Hiruzen. They were wearing battle gear, the Sanin in their grey flak jackets, the Hokage in black battle armor.

"Kushina-chan, Niko-kun! What's-" Jiraiya stopped, he smelled the blood. He whipped out a kunai and followed his teammate and sensei into Mito-sama's room. Dear god, he wish he hadn't. There she lay, the first lady of Konohagakure, the wife of the Shodaime, Sister-in-law to the Nidaime, great-grandmother to Niko, Cousin to Kushina, and Jinchuriki of the Kyuubi no Kitsune. Eyes gouged from their sockets on the ground squashed, her ears torn from her body, tongue ripped from her mouth and her throat practically gone. She was riddled with gashes and slices like an animal attacked. Now that he saw it yes, her throat was torn open by fangs.

"Sensei."

"I know Orochimaru. Why didn't we feel it earlier." Hiruzen made a silent prayer as he opened the front of Mito's robe to expose her abdomen and sure enough, her seal was gone, broken. The Kyuubi was gone.

Jiraiya realized it too and ran over to the children.

"Niko-kun, Kushina-chan, please, I need to see your stomachs." He thought there would be resistance but Niko lifted the front of his shirt and Kushina's to show their abdomens to him. He placed a finger over both and pushed chakra into the skin, yet there was no seal. He pulled their shirts down and sighed deeply, this went to hell in a handbasket. He took in th childrens forms, Kushina was hysterical muttering about monsters and Mito, Niko however, was calm, he was focused on Kushina entirely.

Kushina is hysterical but Niko seems fine

"Jiraiya, take them to your home. They need rest and to get clean. Orochimaru, prepare the body and signal the ANBU, we have something on the loose that has taken the Kyuubi."

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Jiraiya had become paranoid, there was something, and yes he figured it was a thing, I men did you see those marks and wounds? Something was in Konoha last night, slipped past probably the single most guarded facility in Konoha, murdered probably the most important woman in the villages history, did not wake her sleeping grandchildren, and left with the Kyuubi no fucking Kitsune. Not even the infamous Ghost of the Uchiha Kagami could pull that off. So when he felt a chakra signature following him, Kushina, and Niko, he made a Kage Bunshin of to his right that vanished. No chances, if something came to kill the Uzumaki, then the last female known alive and the heir to the clan would be definite targets.

Minato was worried, his red-haired classmate Kushina hadn't been to class yet so he decided to sneak out and find her. What he didn't expect was to find her crying in the arms of one of the Sannin, or for a small bluish silver haired boy to be holding Jiraiya's other hand. Another thing he didn't expect was a kunai placed against his throat from behind. He heard a voice speak to him.

"Don't move a muscle. Who are you and why are you following us?"

Minato gulped but he figured it had to be the Sannin. "I, I was just checking on Kushina-chan, she hadn't been to school today so I got worried."

Jiraiya chuckled. "Kushina-CHAN eh? You close with her kid?"

Minato blushed but shook his head, he felt the Sannin remove the kunai from his neck and he let out a breath he didn't even know he was holding.

"What's your name kid?"

"Minato, Minato Namikaze Jiraiya-sama."

"Alright, well since you were worried about her so much, Kushina-chan's grandmother passed away today so she won't be in school for this week, would you mind collecting her homework for me?"

"Yeah, I can do that Jiraiya-sama, I hope she feels better soon."

"Me too kid, me too."

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Niko sighed, it had been six hours since they were brought to Jiraiya's home. It was a cozy little place, a single bed and bathroom apartment on the north side of the village. It was kinda boring though, it had no games or books, just some fuinjutsu equipment. He sighs looking to the clock. It is 2 o'clock, time for his fuinjutsu practice. Niko sighed as he rose to his feet and padded over to the table, pulling a chair back he climbed into it and sat up straight. HE began his practice drawing the three seals.

"What're you doing."

"Wha?" Niko turned to Kushina and raised an eyebrow.

"What are you doing."

"It's two o'clock, it's time for my practice."

"No, I mean why, Mito-obaa, she's, she's."

"She's dead, that doesn't mean I can skip out on our lessons just cause I'm sad."

"I bet, you wanted her dead, you wanted her gone, I bet you did it somehow. You didn't love her, I bet you did it to her since she died how you cursed her!"

"Mito never treated me like her grandchild, just like some guest who visited. She didn't take care of me, she didn't know ANYTHING about me. She treated you better than me, she never cursed at you, chastised you. She never hit you or told you you were idiotic or stupid. She never called you names for just wanting to hold her hand or ignore you. She loved you more than she did me. I am her blood, her great-grandson and she loved you more than me. After what happened to Kaa-chan and our home she didn't take care of me, you did. You became my Kaa-chan, my Nee-chan, my Oba-chan. You helped me with my homework, you made food and taught me how to cook, you taught me to write. So no I didn't love her like I do you and yes I cursed her. She wanted to hurt you and no one, NO ONE gets to hurt you while I am here. You are the most precious person and no one will ever hurt you when I can help it. She wanted to hurt you, more than hurt you, she wanted to put that stupid Kitsune in you! So yes, I was angry, yes I cursed her, but I didn't actually mean it, I was going to apologize. I didn't want the last thing I said to Obaa-chan to be a STUPID CURSE!" Niko was crying at this point, he had knocked all of his work on the floor and stood there red in the face, tears streaming and his fists balled up. He wiped the snot and tears from his face with the back of his sleeve and hiccupped. He watched as Kushina's eyes widened, she realized what she had said and she held her arms out and open to him. He grabbed the supplies and ran over to Kushina climbing into her lap and leaning back against her chest. He sniffled and began to work on his practice as Kushina ran a hand through his hair.

"I'm sorry Niko-kun, I am so so sorry, I didn't mean."

"I know Oba-chan." Niko sighed as he kept up his work, every once in a while Kushina would point out little things he got wrong.

The two were interrupted by short knocks on the door and a loud pervert yelling. "I'm coming in, I brought Sensei with me."

Jiraiya walked into the room and took stock of the situation, something had obviously happened. He could practically smell the sadness in the room and it didn't come from Kushina, it was rolling off of Niko in waves. Jiraiya had to guess it happened when it was just the two of them, he didn't want to, but he pitied them. Mito-sama was the two kids whole world, their caretaker and grandmother.

"Niko-kun, Kushina-chan, I am so very sorry for your loss." Hiruzen gave the two a polite small bow to signify his feelings. He saw Niko's red eyes and he had guessed at what had happened, Niko was finally letting himself feel it. "I am sorry that I must thrust this upon the two of you but we must know. We have several options for housing for the two of you. You could move in with my family and I, Jiraiya has offered to take you in, on the other hand Orochimaru has offered you a place in his home. We could also find you a foster home, I am sure there are a few couples who would love having children such as yourselves. Or if you would rather there is the orphanage if you wish not to be apart of another family. As I said, the choice is your own as the heir to the Uzumaki clan and the current head of the clan."

Niko didn't want to think, so he just leaned back against Kushina-oba whom tightened her arms around Niko's chest. "I go where Kushina-oba goes."

Jiraiya chuckled, he figured Niko-kun would say that, it made sense. The two had been attached at the hip since he arrived in Konoha. He was truly glad that Niko had someone like Kushina in his line-up.

"What say you Kushina-chan?"

"I want to stay with Jiraiya-sama."

"Oh?" Hiruzen couldn't hold his surprise, "Why would that be?"

"No offense Hokage-sama, but with a child of your own, and having to worry over Konohagakure well being, I think you don't need the added distraction 'ttebane."

"What about Orochimaru-kun, why not him?"

"He's creepy."

Jiraiya couldn't help his bellowing laugh, it was hilarious of her to say that.

"Jiraiya-kun is a pervert, he peeks on women."

"I'd rather a pervert than a creep."

Hiruzen let a chuckle loose from his lips as he watched Jiraiya-kun's ego deflate.

"Very well then, Jiraiya-kun, I will have the paperwork for you soon."

"Thank you Sensei, I will be by after lunch."

"Of course."

Jiraiya smiled and waved to his sensei but as he turned around he got a sucker punch to his balls. Dropping to the floor and holding his family jewels he looked into the searing chocolate eyes of Tsu- no, Niko.

"If I ever catch you peeking on Oba-chan, I will gut you from stem to stern." Niko scoffed and walked back over to ushina plopping back down in her lap.

Oh boy, this was going to be fun.

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	6. Chapter 4

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 **I DO NOT OWN NARUTO IN ANY SHAPE OR CAPACITY. I ONLY OWN MY FICTITIOUS OC'S.**

 **XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

 **Glossary: Scene breaks will be denoted by a line of X's**

"Speech"

' _Thoughts'_

" **Demonic or summons speech"**

' _ **Demonic or summons thoughts'**_

I got a good suggestion from reviewer GaoGod. I will be rending Jutsu in Japanese, and I will post a glossary at the end of the chapter for each Jutsu and their translation to English.

 **XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

 **So I managed to squeeze in one last chapter before I return to school, great isn't it?**

 **XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

"So, I take it that I'm not getting that for my birthday."

Kushina giggled, in her outstretched hand was a brown box, locked, and being held by a small wooden handle.

"Nope, you've been blowing through Jiraiya-sans supplies so we decided to go ahead and give you your birthday present. Also I will be picking up some of your studies from Mito-obaa while Jiraiya-san will be helping you with what Mito had planned. Okay?"

"Mhm." Niko smiled and took the box from Kushina's outstretched hand. It was heavier than he figured it would be, the wood grain biting into his fingers.

"Well, happy early birthday Niko-kun!"

"Thank you Kushina-oba."

Kushina wrapped her arms around Niko hugging him tightly. She wished her Nee-chan was here to see Niko-kun, she would be proud. After a minute Kushina retracted her form from his own and stepped back with a smile.

"So we begin our lessons today, and until I graduate in a couple of years I'll be teaching you every day. So, I'll give you today off but tomorrow we begin, ok?"

"Mhm, thank you very much Kushina-oba."

"Good, now Jiraiya-san didn't give you off though, so when he gets home you will be starting your studies with him, alright?" Kushina placed her hand on Niko-kuns head and began to stroke his hair. This always calmed her, he just calmed her down and to be honest she was internally freaking out. Jiraiya-san was basically a non-existant for the last half month, and she had been doing everything for Niko-kun. Now she had even more responsibility, and it sucked. She loves Niko-kun with all her heart, like she was his own mother but she had to face it, she's not even ten yet and in charge of a life on her own.

"Oba-chan?"

"Hm?"

"Do you think it'll get easier, when Jiraiya-san gets a break and can be here?"

"Ah, I don't know, maybe. You know how he is so there is a chance he might not even focus on your lessons."

She felt him take a step forward and wrap his arms around her sides and bury his head in her chest.

"I just want you to have some fun, that's all."

"I know Niko-kun, I know."

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Jiraiya wasn't good at handling this. Ever since he agreed to let the kids stay here he regretted it, and the only reason he even agreed for Kushina was because she was Niko's oba. To be honest the only reason he even excepted Niko was due to his position as Tsunade's child, if not for his teammates blood being in Niko's veins he would never have taken the children in. So when push came to shove, he shoved hard. With a hard push Jiraiya sent Niko sprawling from his bed and onto the ground with a loud thump.

"Get up Niko-kun, it is time to train."

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Four months already, it had been four months since Jiraiya-san's rude awakening an Niko couldn't believe it. Sure he had been learning nothing but information of Fuinjutsu and Barrier techniques, but this was ridiculous.

"Now, activate it with chakra and I will launch a jutsu at it, if it doesn't hold up try again. We will be doing this until you work out the kinks.

Spoiler alert, Niko didn't for the next seven months.

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It was after his sixth birthday that Niko had finally absorbed all that was left of Joseph, namely his emotions and attitudes. This was a big struggle for Niko because as it was happening he kept having mood swings and he had no clue why. Now it was over, now Joseph was gone and in his mind only Niko existed, and it was silent.

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 **So I know this chapter is extremely short but I am working on a long fifth chapter, it will cover a lot of time and effort of Niko. If you notice I am skipping around a bit and the reason for that is due to I am not good at writting kids. I'm just not, so I am skipping chunks of time each chapter so if you noticed.**

 **Prologue 1: Birth**

 **Prologue 2: 3yo**

 **Chapter 1: 4yo**

 **Chapter 2: 4yo**

 **Chapter 3: 5yo**

 **Chapter 4 (This one): Starts at 5, ends at six**

 **Next chapter will start the Academy days and I will state this now, the next few chapters are important, very important so make sure to pay attention to them closely.**

 **Till next time,**

 **~Ardent Chronicler**


	7. Chapter 5

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 **I DO NOT OWN NARUTO IN ANY SHAPE OR CAPACITY. I ONLY OWN MY FICTITIOUS OC'S.**

 **XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

 **Glossary: Scene breaks will be denoted by a line of X's**

"Speech"

' _Thoughts'_

" **Demonic or summons speech"**

' _ **Demonic or summons thoughts'**_

I got a good suggestion from reviewer GaoGod. I will be rending Jutsu in Japanese, and I will post a glossary at the end of the chapter for each Jutsu and their translation to English.

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 **Alrighty, now that I am officially on break with nothing to do, it is time to make some chapters! So just to let you all know, I'm going to be starting with some major details that will not only impact the story till its end, but will have extreme ramifications in the short term as well.**

 **Also to respond to one reviewer no, Niko will not have a harem, nor will he be romantically involved with Kushina. Kushina is his world right now, the last piece of his family, of his chosen mother of whom he loves absolutely. Kushina is the one who took care of him, trained him in the basics, who helped fight his nightmares, who fed him, bought him clothes, Kushina praised him, scolded him, she was as he said, "Mother, Aunt, Sister, best friend." She is his everything right now, and his only true friend. So no, he will not be romantically involved with her.**

 **As of right now I am debating on his love interest to be, an OC that I have used several times, Ame, Tsume Inuzuka, or someone from either a younger generation or older. To be honest I have been juggling the thought of Pakura, a Kumo-nin, maybe even an Iwa-nin. Something about that sort of romance, especially between enemy sides would add a spice to the story. Right as of now the most likely candidates are either Pakura, Ame (OC), or Tsume. Though I will be introducing the love interest during the time between Genin exams and Chunin exams that doesn't mean it will be set in stone. Hell if one of you have a better Idea, and a realistic on this is not a Harem story, then shoot me a PM with the reason why. I would love to hear some of your requests, it keeps things interesting.**

 **Now, Another thing I need to reference is Kagami or the lack-thereof from when Mito set up Niko's training and why it hasn't happened. To be truthful, I forgot, my bad.**

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Niko was caught off guard once again, and Kushina's fist planted straight into his chest. With a wheeze he was sent to the ground coughing and sputtering trying to catch his wind, but id just wouldn't come. He felt her hand against his back rubbing it gently.

"I'm sorry Niko-kun, I shouldn't have hit you so hard, I'm so so sorry." Kushina bit her lip, she had never hit him so hard he was wheezing. To be honest this was scaring the hell out of her, teach her to listen to his dumb requests ever again. He wanted her to really hit him, so she slipped into her stance and hit him. She saw him try and block her but she was too fast and as all their spars ended up, with him on his ass. She knew it would make him stronger, forcing him to fight an opponent faster, bigger, stronger than him, but everytime she saw his lip bleed, or cough out spittle, or lay there groaning in pain, it truly hurt her heart.

"That's enough for today, Niko-chan, you shouldn't ask for things you can not handle." Jiraiya shook his head the long white mane tossing side to side. He rubbed his face in between his hands, he just didn't understand it. Dan was a heavy hitter, he could knock Jiraiya on his ass with a single punch, and Tsunade, well self explanatory. So why didn't he have his mother and father's natural strength, it just didn't make sense to him.

"Come on Niko-kun, let's go get cleaned up, ok?" Kushina helped Niko stand on his wobbly legs, she bent down and let his arm wrap around her shoulders.

"Niko-chan, are you trying to use your chakra in your hits?" Jiraiya saw Niko try to make a head movement but the kid was in too much pain, getting a solid blow to the Solar Plexus will do that.

"Jiraiya-san, please enough, let's just go back to the apartment and get washed up and ready for dinner." Kushina was THIS close to yelling at him, it as like Jiraiya was trying to goad Niko into something but all it did was make Niko feel like a disappointment. He wanted nothing more than praise from Jiraiya, to be honest he loved Jiraiya like a big brother but Kushina saw how Niko looked more and more depressed after every spar, he wanted Jiraiya to say good job. Hoisting up and pulling Niko completely to his feet Kushina fell in line with Jiraiya as they began their short treck about a kilometer away to their apartment.

Jiraiya scratched the top of his head and sighed deeply. How was he supposed to do this, between his missions with Orochimaru, his network and everything, something was going to have to change soon. He couldn't give Niko what he deserved, nor Kushina. Kushina needed a woman to teach her womanly things, Niko needed a reliable strong male figure, and Jiraiya, he just wasn't confident he was a good role model for anything. He was a pervert, an asshole who abandoned his friend in her time of need, he was jealous of their love, and in the end what killed him the most, was that he felt a form of relief in Dan's death that maybe he had a chance to make something with her with Dan gone. He shouldn't be in charge of Dan and Tsunades child, he shouldn't be incharge of the to Uzumaki, hell, he probably shouldn't be alive. Orochimaru knew it, Tsunade knew it, the whole battle with Hanzo was his fault, and not only did he cause the three of them to nearly lose their lives, he abandoned his friends, his most precious people for a bunch of kids who probably weren't going to make it. He knew it, but he still had to try. Maybe he should just go talk to sensei, there had to be more qualified people to take care of the kids, hell Niko didn't even like him. Kushina could stand him, but Niko, the kid was shy to him, he never really talked outside of training, he was just so withdrawn. He seemed to be ignoring Jiraiya and all he could do was just watch this kid start to wither away, he just didn't know what to do. Wait, didn't, yeah Kagami Uchiha! The old goat was retired and originally Mito had plans for him to train Niko, this was his answer!

"Hey kids, go ahead and get home, you can soak today if you feel like it. I am going to do something and I might come home with some great news!"

Kushina was about to say something but Jiraiya vanished in a blur, how troublesome.

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"No Jiraiya-san."

"What! Come on Kagami-sama, I can't do anything with them! You have an adult daughter who has a kid Kushina's age, not only that but who is her best friend, and it would be perfect, let them stay with someone who could be a mother to them!"

Kagami sighed, Jiraiya just couldn't see or understand what he was truly asking.

"Jiariya-san, out of respect for Hiruzen, I will say it once more. Go home, tend to the kids, and learn."

"You aren't listening to me! The boy can't stand me, he wont talk, he wont listen to me, he just keeps getting more and more depressed! Kushina-chan is getting older and I don't know shit about being a girl! She needs a mother figure, and Niko needs someone who can coddle him and give him the attention he needs!" Jiraiya was about to continue but Kagami's hand wrapped around Jiraiya's mouth tightly enough to keep his mouth closed.

"Listen to me, Jiraiya. Niko-kun is a young boy, don't you remember what it was like? No family, no one to take care of you? Well all he has is his Oba-san who is having to take care of him, sacrifice her own childhood for his own. He's Dan's kid, that means he is an empath just like Dan. He can probably feel Kushina's frustration, discontentment, your frustration and fear. He's probably just scared, and wondering why everyone is so goddamn angry. So no, I won't cost him another home that could scar him for the rest of his life. My agreement with Mito still stands, Monday's at eight o'clock in the morning sharp, bring him to Training Ground three and I will help him learn how to use his eyes. You need to shape the fuck up because by god Jiraiya, if something goes wrong with those two, it will be on your head. The last pure blooded Uzumaki known, and the Uzumaki heir by adoption. You need to trust in Hiruzen's vision and act straight! Stop worrying Jiraiya and just DO something, and for god's sake Jiraiya, give the boy some praise, he probably would do better if you tell him good job every once in a while. Now get home, my daughter will not be part of your machinations, and don't even think of bringing my youngest granddaughter in on it, it is trouble enough to hear constantly what Kushina says about you from Mikoto." Kagami let go of Jiraiya and he saw how his words affected him, so he patted the top of Jiraiya's head and gave him a soft smile.

"It's natural to doubt yourself when it comes to kids Jiraiya, this little life has become something that feeds off of you. Your mannerisms, your attitude, your jutsu, everything. It mimics you, your morals, your temper. It is scary, like standing on the edge of an abyss with the wrong nudge pushing you over the edge. Sometimes, it just takes a step of faith to show you the right path. So don't worry about stuff so much Jiraiya, and just do it. Tell Niko-chan you are proud of him even if it is something silly, give Kushina attention and coddle her, let Kushina bring friends over or play, take care of Niko and let Kushina be a child, she doesn't have long left Jiraiya, so just let her be a kid. Just do with them what you always dreamed about doing, take your own life and take your wants and dreams as a child as a format of what to do, how to act, you have the makings of greatness you just need to let it go and ride the current. Now, go home, you have to children who are waiting for you, you fool."

"I will, and for what it is worth, I am sorry Kagami-sama." Jiraiya was about to bow but he felt Kagami's rough hand on his head again giving him a gentle pat.

"Don't be sorry, just do better."

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Kushina sighed leaning back in the bathtub. The warm water up to her shoulders, she wrapped her arms around Niko's for sitting in her lap soaking with her. She petted his hair and began to hum a little tune.

"Oba-chan."

"Hm?"

"Is Jiraiya-san going to get rid of us?"

"What?" Kushina adjusted a little to sit up, she leaned her head around and looked Niko in the eye.

"Jiraiya-san, he just seems so angry, so lost. I think he's going to try and get rid of us. Just like Obaa-chan left us, or how Kaa-chan left me, or Star-san left me." Niko sighed and leaned back, he wasn't said, just, how would you say it? Disappointed, that is the word. Niko never really had a male figure outside of his Ojii-san, and even then he didn't see him much. Jiraiya-san was there, even though he disappeared for a while, he was still there. He just didn't want to disappoint him anymore, and it hurt every time he saw that look of confusion and disappointment in Jiraiya's eye after every spar. Niko nearly jumped when Kushina took his hands in her own and pulled them to his chest crossing his arms over his chest. Being pulled back against her he turned his head and closed his eyes listening to Kushina's heartbeat.

"You hear it right Niko-kun?"

"Mmm."

"My heart is still beating, and as long as it beats, you will never be alone. You are my Onee-chan's precious son, and my precious little Niko-kun." Kushina began running her hands through his hair and humming a soft song, just enjoying relaxing for once. She wished it could stay this way forever, Niko being this tiny and so lost that he needed her, her being the older loving aunt who, she didn't want to admit it, clung to him and needed him more than oxygen itself. This little boy, the last piece of her family, of her home, this little boy she has invested so much time into and cared for so deeply. Just as she was precious to him, he was precious to her.

"Hey, Kushina-chan, Niko-kun, can uh, can we talk in the living room?"

Jiraiya's voice startled Kushina to the point she made an eeping noise from the tub. She sighed and stood helping Niko out of the deep tub, grabbing the towel off of the rack and toweling off Niko.

"Oba-chan, what if."

Kushina flicked the middle of his forehead.

"No what if's, if something happens it happens, if it doesn't, well that's good to eh?" Smiling up to him she helped him into his pajamas before she began to towel dry herself off. Wrapping her long red hair into the towel and bundling it atop her head she got into her pajamas and took Niko's hand. She felt him snuggle up to her side and the two exited the bathroom, the steam wafted out like a spirit being loosed from its cage. Kushina padded onto the cold floor and it send a chill up her spine, why someone famous for being a Toad summoner loved to keep his home freezing she never would know.

Niko tightened his grip on Kushina's hand grounding himself once again into what was and what wasn't. Ever since he had finally absorbed everything in his mind it was becoming difficult to focus on what was actually happening and what wasn't. Kushina was real, her bodies warmth, her soft and bright voice that had yet to take its true nature. Taking a deep breath he let the blues and greens fade into existence, having learned to let his eyes see what they want after many days of practice he tended to prefer the colors. At least he couldn't see the images or hallucinations when all he could see were the blues or greens. The voices, the noises of loud bangs, beeping monitors, shouts, it was all still there, and he hated it. He saw Jiraiya sitting on the couch and as the two rounded the corner he could see the apprehension that twisted Jiraiya's blue, or as he had been told, his chakra.

"Ah, uh, hey Kushina-chan, Niko-kun. There are going to be some changes and we need to talk about them. Nothing bad I assure you, just a few things." Jiraiya was feeling incredibly nervous, biting the inside of his cheek he watched the bluenette and the red head sit opposite of him. Niko was six years old but he still slept in Kushina's shirts, and Kushina lord love her had taken a liking to his own shirts, seemingly dresses on her.

"What's wrong Jiraiya-san?"

Niko saw that Jiraiya was reaching but he kept pulling back so Niko sighed and looked Jiraiya where his eyes should be.

"Just tell us Jiraiya-san."

"Alright, well, first off. Kushina-chan, twice a week I want you to go out with friends, or to sleep overs, or invite someone over for a sleepover or to come over to play. I have been ignorant of my duties as both of your guardian. So, I'll watch Niko and you go have some fun."

"But Jiraiya-san, what about your."

"It'll be fine, I have Orochimaru assisting me on managing it. Now, Niko-kun, I am so so sorry for how I have been treating you. I've been neglecting you worse than Kushina-chan and that is my problem. I just want you to know I am so proud of you, the progress you have made can be said to be astronomical. Before you came here you could barely write a sealing scroll, and now you can do it upside down, left, right, sideways, downways, and every other way you can think of. Even with your eyes closed! You have progressed in Taijutsu that you make Kushina, an academy student who has been being taught for year, actually try. It is my fault you have been held back, I expected so much from you because of your mother and father but through my expectations I failed to realize. Niko-kun, you are your own person, your own chakra, fighting style, your own mannerisms. I lost sight of that and I am so sorry, and whenever Kushina-chan is dealing with her friends, or at the academy, or even just for no reason at all. I will pick up your training, and I will teach you as I truly should have. I am sorry that I have been distancing you so much and I realize that it's not that you don't speak to me for a reason, but after everything you have been through you don't speak unless it is something important. So please, just, if you can find it in your heart to forgive me and give it another shot, I promise, no I guarantee I will do better by the both of you." Jiraiya slid off of the couch and bowed low to the ground his forehead touching the floor. He didn't hear anything for a moment but then he heard feet hit the ground, he heard shuffling of clothes but he heard them move quickly. He looked up and saw Niko looking down at him, those chocolate orbs burning into his his soul. Eyes that don't look like they belong to a child,, but nonetheless that is where they are.

Niko reached down and hugged Jiraiya, he hugged him as tight a he could. He fell with Jiraiya who slid back onto his butt, then felt another weight sandwich him and heard the tell-tale giggling of Kushina in his ear.

"We forgive you Jiraiya-baka, but if you ever do it again we'll tell Sandaime-sama!" Kushina smiled widely and kept giggling. It was unlike her but for some reason she couldn't stop laughing.

Life was definitely gonna change and it seems for the better!

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Niko was nervous, absolutely nervous. His hand tightened around half of Jiraiya's fingers as he stood as close to the man as possible. Across from him was a man, tall with black wild hair, pale skin, a few bags under his eyes, and a Sharingan active and looking into his eyes. The man was wearing a dark green version of Jiraiya's dark blue sweatshirt and pants.

"Hello Niko-kun, I have heard quite a bit about you from both Jiraiya and Mito-sama. My name is Kagami Uchiha, and as asked by Mito-sama I am to help you learn about your eyes and the vision it grants you. So what do you say, want to figure it out with me?" Kagami gave Niko a warm smile, he could see the look in the kids eyes. He doesn't trust anyone, maybe a few people, but a stranger? No, so he would warm Niko up to him bit by bit. Sitting down on the ground and crossing his legs, leaning over and patted the spot directly across from him.

Niko looked up to Jiraiya and felt Jiraiya's hand leave his own and gently push him forward.

"It'll be ok Niko-kun, I trust Kagami-sama with my life absolutely. He is a great man, an an even better friend."

Niko took a few steps forward and sat across from Kagami. Unlike Kagami, Niko had on a near match of clothes to Jiraiya's, under mesh and all. Crossing his legs he reached back and tucked his hair into the collar of his shirt and met Kagami's gaze.

"Good, now today will be easy Niko-kun, Jiraiya has told me you can activate your vision at will, is this correct?"

Niko nodded and activated his eyes, the blinding white light in Kagami's eyes didn't scare him like it did with the Hyuuga man.

"I see, well it is a lot better than I thought. Seems we are not going in blind. Jiraiya-san, these eyes, this isn't just some mutation, these are doujutsu. Whether from his genetics mutating or what, the activation pathways are incredibly similar to the Sharingan. A few major pathways are different but most of the smaller ones are almost duplicates. Seems I will be able to more than help you Niko-kun, we're a lucky group eh?" Giving Niko a wide grin and a big thumbs up he saw something that seemed to shock Jiraiya. Niko smiled, it as small and shy, but there it was, the corners of his mouth barely lifted but for Niko, a major shift.

"Yeah, Kagami-sensei." Niko was overjoyed, someone who could help him learn more! It was going to be amazing! He looked back to Jiraiya and saw the mans chakra swirling with excitement and happiness. Turning back to Kagami he saw the white eyes vanishing so he let the chakra slip from his own.

"Niko-kun, if I may ask, what does my chakra look and feel like to you?"

"Hmm," This one was difficult, it was similar to the Sandaimes, but different too. "An ocean, like Hiruzen-sama, but warmer, and more fun. Like a bathtub, but big enough for the whole world."

Kagami couldn't help but laugh loudly, he had never had it put that way before.

"A bath huh?"

"Mhm."

"Interesting, well, since I know how to help you I'm going to get some supplies together for our next session, come back next Monday and we will begin our real training, ok?"

"Yeah, bye Kagami-sensei!" Niko waved to the man before Kagami vanished in a blur of smoke and leaves.

"Well, it's good to know that Kagami-sama can help you, eh Niko-kun?"

"Mm."

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Kushina bit her lip, a nasty habit but one she has taken up since she has been taking care of Niko. A light pat on her shoulder had her turn around and she smiled widely.

"It'll be ok, ok Kushina-chan?" Mikoto smiled widely to Kushina, hugging the red head around the shoulders. She was excited, she never got to meet her best friends little Niko-kun before, it would be kind of cool to meet him finally! She even made sure to wear her pretty dress today, it was her favorite. A long dark blue dress to match the deep blue of her hair, with white trim to go with her pale skin. She had her hair mostly held together by a low bow around her shoulders holding her hair from doing whatever it wanted. She greedily stole Kushina's hand and started running.

"Mikoto-chan! That's the wrong way!"

"Well stop moping and take me there, I'm excited!"

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 **Well then, this was actually shorter than I originally had it but I figures I would save the rest for the next chapter. I do hope you enjoy it and it was worth the wait, as I said pay close attention to the next couple of chapters, these give more insight on how the changes brought by the absorption are changing Niko. Till next time,**

 **~Ardent Chronicler**


	8. Chapter 6

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 **I DO NOT OWN NARUTO IN ANY SHAPE OR CAPACITY. I ONLY OWN MY FICTITIOUS OC'S.**

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 **Glossary: Scene breaks will be denoted by a line of X's**

"Speech"

' _Thoughts'_

" **Demonic or summons speech"**

' _ **Demonic or summons thoughts'**_

I got a good suggestion from reviewer GaoGod. I will be rending Jutsu in Japanese, and I will post a glossary at the end of the chapter for each Jutsu and their translation to English.

 **XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

 **As of right now I am debating on his love interest to be, an OC that I have used several times, Ame, Tsume Inuzuka, or someone from either a younger generation or older. To be honest I have been juggling the thought of Pakura, a Kumo-nin, maybe even an Iwa-nin. Something about that sort of romance, especially between enemy sides would add a spice to the story. Right as of now the most likely candidates are either Pakura, Ame (OC), or Tsume. Though I will be introducing the love interest during the time between Genin exams and Chunin exams that doesn't mean it will be set in stone. Hell if one of you have a better Idea, and a realistic on this is not a Harem story, then shoot me a PM with the reason why. I would love to hear some of your requests, it keeps things interesting.**

 **Remember to follow to stay up to date with updates with the story, and a review would be appreciated!**

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Kagami was colored impressed. The first training session went very well, Niko took to the predictive movement training extremely well. The two had been able to work out that similarly to the Byakugan he had a three hundred and sixty degree visual range. Though unlike the Byakugan, and probably due to his father's empathic abilities, he could see the intent by how the chakra moved. By walking along this vein and through training Niko was able to predict people's movements on par with the Sharingan, it was truly impressive. Due to the abilities they have been able to find out about his eyes Kagami decided it would be beneficial to start Niko on his personal Taijutsu. Unlike the Sharingans Dance, the Feinting Swallow was based on more evasion and less attacking. The two styles were similar in their use of counters, parries, and quick movements, but the Sharingans Dance was too aggressive for Niko's body for the moment. The learning curb had been a tad bit high due to Kushina also teaching him the Whirlpools Rage, the Uzumaki's clan taijutsu, but it was doable. The Whirlpools Rage would be supplemented by the Feinting Swallow perfectly, due to the Whirlpools Rage being almost like a true dance. Focusing on using momentum to build up power with weaker limbs, flexibility and evasions, if implemented correctly the two styles would be seamless with each other. What seemed to concern him was Niko focusing too hard on what movements to use and when, he wouldn't let his instincts take the reigns.

"Good Niko-kun, now again, I want you to remember this not in your head but in your muscle memory. You are turning into the blow, allowing yourself to roll with the enemies momentum and redirect their strike away from you. That is a true parry, and once they have over extended or are panicking, you strike for the soft tissues. Now tell me, what are the four points I have you focusing on?" Kagami motioned with his hand and his clone began to punch and kick at Niko, hard enough to bruise and scratch but not wound.

"Behind the knees, the kidneys, the lowest set of ribs, and the armpits." Niko moved his left hand upwards and rolled with the clones blow and using two of his knuckles dug them into the area where the two lowest ribs are.

"Good shot, now why do I ask you to aim for these spots?"

"The back of the knees to shake the opponents stability, the kidneys for easier organ damage and pain, the lowest set of ribs due to them being the weakest, hit them and there is a good chance of them floating around, hit them again and another good chance of them piercing an organ. The armpits due to the soft tissue, aim correctly and damage the orbital socket, if hit with a knife it can lead to either a direct shot to the heart or to the aorta, sure fire kills."

"Good, now what are the tenants you need to memorize?" Kagami summoned a second clone in secret to attack from behind.

"Discipline, Loyalty, Courage, Compassion," Niko see's the second clone but couldn't do anything in time, taking the sharp blow to his back he was sent skidding along the ground. "Ow, and Vigilance."

"Good, now, tell me why that clone surprised you while you were using your eyes?"

Niko stood up shakily and brushed off his arms, three months of this training and he could feel the improvements but couldn't see them himself. "I was too focused on my actions, but Kagami-sensei if I don't." With a sharp whack Kagami sent Niko skidding again.

"Correct, you were thinking too much Niko, let your body take charge. You think too much with your head, let your body do the reacting and let your mind be vigilant on the enemy."

"Yes Kagami-sensei, I will do better."

"Don't make promises, just do it and that will be enough, ok?"

"Mm." Standing up again Niko panted heavily, he had been at it for three hours straight. He was dead on his feet and his Sensei knew it.

"Go ahead and head home, I'm going to get some advice from a friend of mine about integrating your styles."

"Oh? What's their name?"

"Might Dai."

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Kushina was gushing, she had brought Mikoto over again and ever since they first met, Niko wouldn't stop blushing around her! Of course being the dutiful aunt she was she senselessly teased Niko about his little crush on Mikoto.

Niko entered the house and shuffled into the living room.

"Niko-kun! Holy shit what happened to you?"

Niko turned, a dark blue haired girl with pale skin, black eyes like coal, and the warmest smile he had ever seen, outside of Kushina of course.

"Was Kagami-sensei hard on you again?"

"Mm." Niko nodded but he wanted nothing more than to disappear and fall asleep all night. With Mikoto here that would be difficult, he had a crush and like all normal boys with a crush, he wanted to hang out with her. About to ask if he could join Kushina's fingers snapped.

"Ah, I forgot, Niko-kun, you have your fuinjutsu practice in half an hour, how's about you clean-up and you can sit with us while you work!" Kushina smiled and mode a thumbs up at Niko with a wink causing the youth to bury his face in his hands.

"I don't want to cause him to miss practice Kushina-chan, are you sure it's ok if he stays?" Mikoto was no stranger to a demanding schedule, after all her grandfather Kagami had been training her and her older sister Haruka for years.

"Of course, after all I'm teaching him when Jiraiya-san isn't here! So go Niko-kun, get clean and we'll all sit in here. We'll all be studying so that'll be nice, right?"

"Yeah, I'll be right out." Niko bowed lightly and took off with a new found breath to the bathroom to soak. He loved hanging out with his aunts friends they were so cool, he wishes he had friends but Kushina said she wouldn't sign the papers for him to join the Academy until the next term. Lucky for him this term ended tomorrow with their final tests and the next starts in a week from tomorrow! He had all his papers filled out they just needed Kushina's signature and he could go to the Academy with all the other kids.

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Kushina sighed, she absolutely hated history! She could tell you everything you wanted to know about Fuinjutsu or the Uzumaki clan but who cares what the place Uchiha Madara and Senju Hashirama had their last fight was called! It was bogus filler because they didn't want to fill them in on Ninjutsu yet. Next year is her last year in the academy and she wanted to learn something cool before it ended! So far all she learned was some boring history, math, and some weird stuff about politics. She was so lucky to have a friend like Mikoto who aced everything to help her study.

"Kushina-chan, don't you think Niko is taking a little long in the shower?"

"He trains with your Ojii-san just like you, so I figured that he just takes so long cause he's sore like you usually are."

"Yeah but Kushina, it's been two hours."

Kushina blinked, looking to the clock on the wall she nearly freaked, it was almost three o'clock in the evening and Niko had been in the shower for two hours! "Shit!"

Mikoto sighed as she watched Kushina run into the bathroom, some shouts and some laughing was going on but after a minute a red faced Kushina came out of the bathroom.

"Kushina-chan? What's wrong?"

"Oh, oh nothing Mikoto-chan, nothing at all, nope not a thing!" Kushina tried to put on a smile but it wasn't working.

"Seriously Kushina-chan, what's wrong, can I help?"

"NO! Please, god no, it's nothing, I'll just ask Jiraiya-san to handle it when he gets here sometime next week." Kushina felt like she could die, not only had she walked in on Niko with his first boner, but she was trying to hide the fact from Mikoto and FAILING MISERABLY!

"Wait, Kushina-chan, did he fall asleep in the tub?"

Kushina nodded vigorously, Mikoto opened a route of escape and Kushina planned on taking every advantage she could to steer the conversation away.

"Oh, that's troubling, I'll have to ask Jii-san to take it easy on him, falling asleep in the tub is dangerous." Mikoto looked down the hallway as Niko was walking out, he was wrapping hsi hair in a towel and sitting it on his head and took notice of her. Mikoto giggled when she saw his cheeks turn red. She was not as oblivious as Kushina hoped she was, she knew Niko had a crush on her. It was plain as the red dusting is cheeks, and while she enjoyed the attention she was engaged to Fugaku the clan heir.

Niko sighed as he walked into the living room wearing a baggy yellow sleeveless kimono style blouse, tied together with a green obi, and a pair of long blue sweatpants.

"Niko-kun, you stole one of my shirts again!"

Niko shrugged and padded over to the desk in the far corner of the room next to the entrance to the kitchen. Pulling out the drawer at the top middle portion of the desk he pulled out his fuinjutsu supplies. Hurrying over ha sat next to Kushina and began to pull sheets of paper from the small notepad.

"You gonna work on your special project eh?"

"Mm, I'm so close to getting it to work, I just know it." Niko opened the pad up and an intricate design that almost looked like a spiral itself was made up of characters. Niko began running over them with his eyes scanning for mistakes.

"Near the core of the chakra processor, you have a dampener touching a reinforcing agent. Try rerouting th dampener around the reinforcing agnt and connecting it to the grounding seal, it should cut down on chakra cost and also time for deployment." Kushina stared at the work, she giggled at his red cheeks as he flipped to a new page and began to work on recreating the seal with a few changes.

"Kushina-chan, if only the final exam was on fuinjutsu, you would pass in your sleep."

"Yeah it would be." Kushina was about to say something but her instincts screamed at hr and she leapt to the side, not fast enough and she now sported a gash on her forearm.

"OBA-CHAN!" Niko pulls the chakra from the paper and rushed over to Kushina, he forearm bleeding out over the floor. "I'm so so sorry, I didn't think it would work!"

Kushina hissed, a barrier did this? When she looked at the wound it seemed like she was struck by a Katana or a Kunai.

"Niko-kun, it's ok just an accident but I need to get to the hospital to get this stitched up." Kushina wasn't gonna lie, this hurt like a bitch. She stood up and ran to the kitchen grabbing a dishcloth to put pressure on the wound. Mikoto slipped on her sandals and was waiting by the door with Niko. Joining the duo they hurried out of the apartment leaving a sizeable blood pool where Kushina had sat.

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Running into the hospital Kushina hurried over to the desk and was ushered into a back room with Niko and Mikoto in tow. She could see the worry on Niko's face but she gave him a smile to reassure him. She was ushered into a room with a person wearing a set of dark green scrubs with a red symbol of Konoha embroidered over the left breast.

"My name is Hyuuga Mina, can you tell me what happened while I take care of this?"

Kushina had to bit her lip as the woman peeled the blood covered dish rag away from the wound. "I was sitting in my living room with Niko-kun and Mikoto-chan. Mikoto-chan and I were working on our homework because of our finals tomorrow and Niko-kun was working on his fuinjutsu. Something went wrong or right I don't know, and I got sliced by whatever Niko was working on." Kushina nearly screamed as the Iryo-nin's hands glew a soft blue as the sterilization jutsu activated and worked its magic. Her knuckles white as she bore her grip on the table she let out a sigh of relief as the jutsu ended.

Niko watched as the Iryo-nins hand started to glow an intoxicatingly beautiful shade of green. Seeing Kushina's hand relax and her face release its tension he was enamoured. "How, what, what did you do?"

"Oh? This? It doesn't really have a name, just something we do with the modification to the Shosen Jutsu. Using my medical chakra I stimulate her nerves to quiet down, be less receptive to certain neurological signals for pain. It numbs the area to pain for a short period of time usually for relief of a patient. We tend to use the jutsu for much larger wounds and do therapies with it but I tend to use it on children who are hurt. It helps them calm down, and lets me work better. Unfortunately in Uzumaki-chan's case I needed to see her response to the pain to judge the sanitizing process." Mina looked at him and saw his eyes light up, with a smile she ruffled his hair.

"Can you teach me to do that Hyuuga-sensei?" Niko watched her suck in a breath and bite her lip. Secretly activating his doujutsu he saw her chakra swirling with indecision.

"I don't know, I just recently got out of my apprenticeship with Uchiha-sensei. I'll see what I can do about it ut, since I'm new I don't think I would be the best at it."

Niko nodded in mock disappointment deactivating his doujutsu. He looked up to Kushina as Mina began binding her stitched are with gauze over the wound and bandage around the area.

"Now Uzumaki-chan, you need to change this twice a day ok? The cut was at an awkward angle to it may drain out into the gauze. Also Uzumaki-kun, Fuinjutsu can be very dangerous, so promise me next time you will test it with either a large amount of space away from people, or with someone who is a teacher around, ok?"

Niko nodded and went to take Kushina's hand but stopped short, tensing his hand and bringing it to his side he lowered his head and looked at the floor.

"Niko-kun, it'll be ok. It was an accident." Mikoto gently rubbed the top of his head, but when he hugged her it shocked her. She petted his head and knelt down on one knee looking up into his eyes. "Now, I don't think Kushina-chan at all blames you, isn't that right Kushina-chan?"

"Mhm, it was an accident, so don't get mopey Niko-kun." Kushina tossed his hair playfully and hugged him with her good arm.

"But, I hurt you."

"It's fine now, Hyuuga-sensei fixed me up in no time flat, it barely hurts anymore! So come one, let's get home and you can show us what you were doing, I bet it was super cool!"

"It' was a personal, high-frequency, quarter dome barrier meant to be deployed on person."

Mikoto scratched her cheek sheepishly. "Um, Kushina-chan, translation?"

"It's a shield, like the old samurai used to use." Kushina giggled hugging Mikoto and rubbing her cheek against hers. "You're so cute when you're clueless Mikoto-chan 'ttebane!"

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Mina sighed deeply watching the three kids leave. She stood and let the Henge jutsu fade from her body, her grey ANBU uniform filling out her form. She turned as the door opened and a man about the same size as her walked in. His dark hair bushed at the top of his head, the cross scar on his chin prominently shown.

"Did you get it?"

"Yes Shimura-sama, I have a sample from both children."

Danzo held out his hand as his agent placed the two vials of blood into his hands. With a smirk he closed his hands around the vials and put them into his left pant pocket and patted it gently.

"Good, this is just what I wanted, now to run some tests. That will be all Hyuuga-san." Danzo waved his hand, with his object of desire in his hand he was one step closer to his goal. He looked as his agent had not left yet and raised an eyebrow to her.

"Speak if you have something to say."

"Niko Senju-Kato is showing an acute interest in Iryo Ninjutsu. With the prodigious talent of Tsunade Senju, Kaneki Senju, and our Shodaime-sama in his veins, not to mention Kato-sans blood, would it not be apropos to culture this talent?"

Danzo raised an eyebrow looking into her eyes deeply. "Are you stating that he should be instructed in Iryo-jutsu?"

"Indeed Shimura-sama, with his latent talent in his blood, I figure he has a good chance to be on par with his progenitor and her family."

"Hm, I will mull this over for now. Stand by, as my leading Iryo-nin I may call on you if I decide this is his path to take."

Mina bowed deeply and closed her eyes. "Of course, Shimura-sama."

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Niko looked at the small design written on the piece of paper still stained with a little of Kushina's blood. Looking at Kushina who was standing on a towel over the puddle of blood that came from her arm, she nodded excitedly to Niko.

"Come on, I want to see!" Kushina was impatient, especially when it came to Fuinjutsu. What Niko's barrier style Fuinjutsu claimed to be was a challenge, even to her. Usually when it came to barriers you started big then work your way down to small. Niko skipped the big and started at small, he defied the norm and created a personal barrier!

Niko placed the tag on his arm and carefully channeled chakra into the seal. The dome formed and seemed to hum its own tune, a wavy noise like it was raising and lowering its pitch. Niko crossed his arm over his chest and smiled, it had worked! The small shield was barely over two feet in circumference but it also did not curve deeply sitting comfortably over his arm. The faint lavender color was his own touch, he liked the color so he followed a path of vanity and used a seal to change its color.

"Ooo, it's pretty! I can hear the oscillation, you may need to increase its frequency." Kushina practically ran over to Niko looking at the barrier in depth. Overall it was nice, a good shape, great depth, and it seemed to have a good chakra oscillation.

"What do you mean Kushina-chan?" Mikoto was utterly lost, oscillation? Frequency, what did those have to do with a shield?

"Well you see Mikoto-chan, a chakra barrier has three types of forms. The first is a basic wall, kind of what a normal barrier is. These can be smashed with enough force and are extremely simple to form. Then there is the next type, the one Niko made. It is called a Chakra Oscillation Barrier. What it means is it takes the chakra, and it oscillates it, meaning it raises and lowers the frequency of its movement, like a spinning top. This allows the technique to be able to handle more force by distributing force and also shifting the force away from the main impact site. Due to this the barrier can withstand a lot more force than a standard static barrier jutsu. Then there is the third type, the Metallotropic Liquid-crystal Barriers. These barriers take your chakra and using substances in nature, such as water, humidity, converts them to a new state of matter called a Liquid-crystal. This state of matter has a liquid form but its make-up is similar to that of a crystal. These types of barriers, commonly called MLC barriers, are extremely complicated to use and need multiple people to use them. Only Mito-obaa could use them herself by infusing her Kongo Fusa with this type of barrier. Typically these are used for village or FOB protections during wartime. So what Niko-kun essentially did was to take the second type of barrier, condense it to the size of a standard disc shield, and channel it through his arm. Even I don't think I could do that, but I haven't had the time to sit down and work so I don't know." Kushina sighed, the implications of this type of Fuinjutsu would be strange to say. Not to say that it hadn't been done before but usually the seals were so personalized due to how every person's body grows in different ways, as well as their chakra oscillation frequency, this was just too much.

"Wait, Niko-kun, if what Kushina-chan said is true, how did you make it work? If you had to make your chakra into frequency, how did you know what to use?" Mikoto was just confused, this seems way beyond a near seven year olds ability.

Niko sheepishly turned his head, his cheeks glowing red from embarrassment he mumbled his reply.

"I'm sorry what did you say?" Kushina huffed and put her hands on her hips.

"I, I guessed?" Niko scrunched up, his shoulders meeting his head.

"YOU DID WHAT 'TTEBANE!"

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Niko sighed, after getting an earful from his aunt about the dangers of messing up matching his frequency, or having the seal detonate half of the village he just needed some air. So he did what he likes to do when he wants some alone time, he begins to wander around the training ground Kagami has him practicing on. BArely hearing the whistling, and due to Kagami's brutal training Niko manached to duck as a kunai zoomed over his head nearly impaling him.

"Oh crap! Kid are you ok?!"

Niko turned around and saw someone who he had seen only one time before. With spiky blonde hair, tanned skin, deep blue eyes, and a horrible haircut her blinked. The kid was in a white jacket over a green hoodie with white sweatpants on. Niko was about to growl something out when a noise from behind him caused him to jump. A strong hand on his shoulder kept him from running though.

"Niko-kun, what're you doing out here?" Jiraiya was confused, Niko rarely left the house unless someone brought him somewhere. To put it plainly the kid was anti-social, quiet, shy, and Jiraiya had tried to deny it, but the kid was a shining example of someone in depression.

"Kushina-oba fussed at me over my seal, so I came to take a walk." Niko shrugged nonchalantly.

"What do you mean Kushina-chan yelled at you?" Jiraiya was curious at this point, what could have riled the princess up this badly?

"Well, I finished my seal, and it works, but." Niko gnawed on his lip and looked away from Jiraiya.

"But what Niko-kun?" Minato placed a comforting hand on his shoulder.

"I, well I. I guessed on my chakra frequency and tried to force my seal into working. It worked and I guess I guessed correctly on my frequency but, Kushina-oba said that it was something I shouldn't have done." Nikos cheeks began to glow red, but Jiraiya's booming laughter and his hand ruffling Nikos hair broke him from his stupor.

"You're not angry Jiraiya-san?"

"No Niko-kun, Im proud. You're a fucking idiot for trying to do that, but the fact that it worked is hilarious." Jiraiya wanted to die from laughing so hard. He kicked back into his laughter and had to double over.

Minato sighed and took Nikos hand in his own and began to lead Niko back to the main area of the training ground. "Niko-kun, what you did was admirable, but it was foolish too."

"I know, I just. I wanted to make Jiraiya-san be proud of me."

Minato chuckled but kept walking. Once the two had made it through the thick pine tree over brushand the thick bushes of the underbrush, Minato sat Niko down next to the three large logs in the middle of the training ground. Jiraiya's laughter as still booming in the background like a stampede of bulls.

"Now, Niko-kun, I want you to tell me why what you did was not smart."

"Well, I guess if I."

Minato raised a hand.

"No, no guesses, tell me why."

"If I had gotten it wrong and used it then it could have damaged my Chakra coils. If I got the sel wrong it could have exploded and taken out a good few blocks. If I did not have the shape right it could have taken off my arm." Niko curled in on himself hugging his legs to his chest. Minato nodded and patted his shoulder gently.

"Hey, I'm not trying to punish you or make fun of you. What you did, you know the consequences and how it could hurt someone. So Next time, just make sure you talk to Jiraiya-sensei, ok? Also about making Sensei proud, you should know he always talks about you. Your progress on your eyes, your taijutsu, your fuinjutsu, everything. He is really proud of you." Minato gently placed his hand on Nikos head and massaged his scalp. Giving Niko a warm smile he pulled his hand from Nikos head and held it in front of him.

"Want to go get some Mochi with me?"

Niko nodded furiously, one of the things he really really likes, Mochi balls. He decided then and there, he liked Minato.

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The next two weeks were chaotic, with Kushina, Mikoto, and Minato all passing their exams they were in their graduating class. Niko was enrolled into the next class, and within a week had tested not one, not two, but three year in advance. That meant he had two years left of classes to go. Kagami's training got more and more brutal, and once he saw how Nikos seal worked the two managed to incorporate it beautifully into the Feinting Swallow style, it almost seemed natural to have it. The shield helped diffuse the blows and parry more efficiently. With the larger size Niko could parry larger blows, and with the strength and the point of impacts energy being dispersed due to the nature of the shield, Niko could not only parry but block hits that would normally knock him on his ass.

Minato and Niko quickly became good friends, and it seemed Minato was on a list of three people who could pull him from his shell. The first was of course his aunt Kushina, the second was Minato surprisingly, and the third and most surprising was his new sensei that he was coming to admire. Hyuuga Mina, she had officially taken him up as an apprentice to train in Iryo-ninjutsu, and as she predicted Niko was not just good at Iryojutsu, he was a prodigy among prodigies.

It took him a week to not only learn but perfect tree-walking and water-walking. Within a week of learning those two he was sparring with Kagami on water and on the side of a tree. It was so seamless how he transitioned from surface to surface that it seemed as if he knew it all his life. It was then that she knew, she had to teach him Iryojutsu. She had started him easy enough, just a normal Shosen Jutsu like she was started on. Within two days he could heal a fish, three days he could revive the fish for a minute. On the fourth day he could keep the fish alive indefinitely, it was astounding. Even Tsunade of the Sannin took a whopping month to get to this level. She was so proud of him, she had officially gotten him a band with the red sign of Konoha that alerted all civilians and ninja that he was an Iryo-nin in training. He took to learning the systems of the body like the information was already known and just being refreshed, the theories, the challenges, they were just easy to him. He had even began experimenting with fish on ways to change the Shosen Jutsu, to make it more efficient in healing or on Chakra intake. It was astounding.

Kagami had learned of Mina's apprenticing Niko so he did some digging. Being the Ryuu of the ANBU meant having privileges, and he manipulated every single one he had. He found out that Mina was working for Danzo in his shadow group ROOT. He had spied on her and followed her watching her through her life, and even spied on her when she reported to Danzo on Niko's progress. What Danzo wanted with Niko he couldn't even begin to guess. He would let her mentor Niko for now, it made the boy happy and that is all that mattered.

Niko had begun integrating the Whirlpools Rage with the Feinting Swallow into his fighting styles, and by his eighth birthday Niko could use the both of them interchangeably. Niko was comfortable using the styles, ut just like he was told he thought too much. Kagami had started teaching Niko how to perform Genjutsu, and started with the Henge Jutsu and the Bunshin Jutsu. Both of these Niko could use proficiently after a few months of practice due to his chakra control being obscene. Outside of his growing Taijutsu, his Iryojutsu, the two Genjutsu, and his Fuinjutsu, Niko had barely made progress with his Doujutsu. So far he and Kagami could tell that the Doujutsu was a jack of all master of none when compared to Konohagakures reigning Doujutsu. He could see several kilometers around clear as day, he could see every individual chakra signature, even Kagami's when he suppressed it to a minute scale. He had three hundred and sixty degree vision, and he had predictive ability due to the range of his sensing and sight range. Kagami was impressed by the growth, and by the time Niko's last year in the Academy rolled around, Niko was more than ready to be Genin, and Kagami knew it.

Hiruzen had been keeping tabs on Niko's progress, especially onc Kagami had informed him of Danzo's involvement. Though indirectly as it seemed Hiruzen was no fool and he knew he was trying to pull something on Niko. Ever since he had a member of his personal bodyguard squad follow Niko and watch over him, to guard him from threats foreign and domestic. So far Danzo had not tried anything, but with the war coming to a close it couldn't be guaranteed. Then one day, the "incident happened." Kushina had been kidnapped, Minato had pursued and rescued her with Nikos assistance, and the two eliminated a Kumogakure Jonin. But it was not that that had him rubbing his face in emotional turmoil, it was what happened as soon as the two arrived at home.

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Niko was huffing and puffing, trying to catch his breath. He had an injury to the side of his head, it bled a lot but it didn't hurt. Minato, now dressed in a white track top, and black pants stood next to him holding Kushina in his arms.

"You ok Niko?"

"Mm." Niko nodded and looked to Kushina, she seemed so tired, probably a drug. Niko had taken a life tonight, even though Minato did most of the fighting it was Niko's shield edge that seperated the man stem to stern. Looking to Minato he was about to say something when a pulse of chakra washed over the whole village, nay, the whole country. Just a single pulse but it was so malicious and evil it pained his heart. This was the red, the red that dominated Mito's most inner chakra. The red he knew would be the end of Kushina, and the red that he had resolved himself to take instead. Anything for his aunt, but it wouldn't be.

Hiruzen felt the pulse, the chakra, he knew it well. The Kyuubi had reformed, and it reformed in the middle of his village. With a mighty roar, the Kyuubi no Kitsune stood towering over the village, its maw agape, raw flesh bare to the air itself. With a crushing snap that echoed through the village the Kyuubi's skin and fur reformed, and with it. The Kyuubi unleashed hell.

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Hiruzen moved as quickly as he could, leaping from rooftop to rooftop. HE had to reach the Uzumaki and quickly! With a burst of speed Hiruzen left Jiraiya in the dust and seemingly popped into existence next to Minato and Niko.

"Sandaime-sama!"

"Hurry, give me Kushina-san now, before it is too late!" Hiruzen went for her but Niko stepped into his path. Those dark chocolate eyes filled with defiance and fear.

"No! Take me, I can hold it!"

"Now is NOT the time Niko! Begone from my path, I need your Oba-san!" Hiruzen went to move but the child wouldn't budge. He hated to do this, but with a shove he sent Niko to the floor, but he underestimated his strength. He not only shoved Niko to the side, but ended up cracking his head against a concrete wall hard enough to leave a blood stain. Hiruzen saw Minato's eyes widen in fear and looked to the Sandaime with fear in his yes.

"Sensei, what the fuck did you do!" Jiraiya knelt down next to Niko. He tried to wake Niko up but when he felt the injury his eyes widened. Niko's pulse was extremely faint, and the place his skull impacted the wall was squishy. Niko's skull had been shattered from the impact. How was he not dead! He had no time and lifted Niko gingerly into his arms, making sure not to impact the spot on his head in any shape or form. Looking to his sensei who wretched Kushina's unconscious form from Minato, the two locked eyes and Hiruzen's eyes widened and tears threatened to fall. He knew now what he had done, and the worst part was as quickly as they had shown his emotion, it was gone. Hiruzen looked like he couldn't give a shit about Niko any more. Jiraiya just watched his sensei vanish from the spot with Kushina and all Jiraiya could do was feel disgust for Hiruzen.

"Sensei!" Minato saw Niko's limp form, blood began to trickle from his ear and his mouth.

"SHIT!" Jiraiya vanished with a Shunshin no Jutsu appearing in the hospitals emergency room. Trading off Niko gently to the Sensei on staff he could only watch as the boy he had come to love be carted off with someone over his body performing CPR. Looking out the window he saw the Kyuubi vanish, and with that it was over. The Kyuubi was gone, Niko was probably not going to make it, and he was standing here in the middle of an ER with blood covering his left shoulder from Niko. Like a zombie he stalked to the waiting area, being led by some uniform figure and he sat down. His head in his hands he began to tremble, tears falling from his eyes. How long had it been since he cried? As it the almost death by Hanzo, the time he saw Mito dead, when he had found out his parents died in the first war? He couldn't even remember, but he began to weep.

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Sixteen hours, sixteen hours was how long the surgery took. Three times his heart stopped, four times the Iryo-nin had to take Jiraiya's blood. After an hour Minato joined him, half an hour later Orochimaru sat next to Jiraiya and placed a hand on his shoulder trying to comfort him. Three hours later they came for the first transfusion, and the next four after that he was drained of blood to help save Niko's life. On the fifteenth hour he had heard of Kushina being set up in the HPN segment of the ICU wing. The High Profile Ninja wing, the one only a few select people were taken too. He went to visit but was denied access, he nearly killed the poor ANBU before threatened by Kagami to leave. Making his way back down he sat for an hour just staring at the ground, lost in his thoughts, and it was then on the sixteenth hour he heard his name called.

"Jiraiya-sama?"

Jiraiya looked up and saw the doctor that took Niko back on the gurney. A tall handsome man, with deep tear trophs, black short hair, and dark black eyes. "Yes?"

"I am Uchiha Kotaru, I have news of Niko-kun."

Jiraiya stood up and nearly bowled the an over.

"It's not too good, the damage was extensive. The main injury was to his skull plate right over the Temporal lobe. The skull fragments had caused trauma to the Temporal lobe and was causing him to hemorrhage into the rest of his skull cavity. We managed to repair the skull plate and some of the damage done to the lobe but it was impossible to completely heal. As of now we do not know exactly what sort of symptoms he could be facing, but it is likely he will suffer from TLS'. TLS is Temporal Lobe Seizures and can help be managed by medication. It is highly likely he will be suffering from these seizures for the rest of his life. Once we had dealt with the brain trauma we had found out that not only was his neck broken, but his spinal cord was leaking. We managed to fix most of the breakage and to stop the leaking but the toll on his body was too great. We lost him three times during the surgery to fix his neck, but we managed to keep him alive. For now he is in a coma, the cause being the brain damage. We have no idea when he will wake up, nor if he will be able to continue being a ninja afterwards. For now we have him on a saline drip, and with a feeding tube. We are using an administration of Depakote to help with the seizures. We need you to sign off on some simple legal forms, mostly formalities since his bills are paid by the Senju clans fortune."

Jiraiya felt broken, how could, this, why did this happen! He felt an overwhelming anger towards Hiruzen, his blood was boiling, his vision was red and like the devil himself Hiruzen stepped into the lobby. Jiraiya saw him and saw Orochimaru say something and rush to his sensei's side but Orochimaru was too slow. With a thunderous boom Jiraiya had shoved his foot into Hiruzen's face and sent him through the wall. Wrenching his arm from Orochimaru's grasp the tears of rage were flowing from Jiraiya's eyes.

"Jiraiya! Stop this!"

Jiraiya threw Orochimaru off him and looked to Hiruzen. Hiruzen's nose was bent at an angle, blood flowing, his right ear was bleeding but it wasn't enough. IT WASN'T FUCKING ENOUGH. With a single leap he grabbed Hiruzen by the collar of his shirt, pressing Hiruzen's body against the wall on the outside of the hospital he punched Hiruzen. Again, and again and again, so many times he lost count. He let Hiruzen's mangles form fall to the ground and he stood panting over his sensei.

Hiruzen waved off his ANBU and his Guard, letting Jiraiya have his anger out. Hiruzen deserved it for hurting Niko.

"Was it not enough to take the girl I have come to love as my own, and turning her into a jinchuriki, YOU HAD TO NEARLY KILL TSUNADE'S SON!"

Hiruzen's eyes widened, he stood shakily and looked Jiraiya sternly in the eye. "What do you mean?"

"WHAT DO I MEAN?! YOU BROKE HIS DAMNED NECK SENSEI, you crushed part of his fucking skull and damaged his brain! HE IS IN A GOD DAMNED COMA, ALL BECAUSE OF YOU! HE NEARLY DIED THREE TIMES! SIXTEEN FUCKING HOURS SENSEI, SIXTEEN HOURS!" Jiraiya decked his sensei once more knocking the man to the ground. He saw the remorse in his eyes, and Jiraiya didn't care. He spat in his sensei's face and stormed off with only a few words left to his sensei. "Don't you fucking dare come into his room either. Because of you, he may never become a Shinobi, he may never even wake up. If I see you again, I may do something we'll both regret." Jiraiya was storming off to follow Uchiha-sensei to Niko's room, Orochimaru tried to stop him but he violently shrugged him off.

Hiruzen wiped his face of blood and spit, he had never seen Jiraiya so worked up before. Looking around he saw several ANBU just standing there, and his student Orochimaru. "Well, what are you all doing standing around! Get back to work!" He watched the various ANBU vanish into smoke as Orochimaru walked over to his sensei.

"Are you ok sensei?" Orochimaru brushed off his sensei's shoulder of plaster and sighed. It wasn't unjustified but it had no tact.

"I'm fine, what happened after I took Kushina?"

"You should sit down sensei."

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 **Jutsu Glossary:**

Shosen Jutsu: The Shosen is a medical ninjutsu which allows the user to speed up the body's natural healing process by sending chakra from their hands into a wound or affected body part. This allows the user to heal a patient without the need for medical equipment or surgery, making it very useful on the battlefield. It can be used to treat both external and internal injuries. It is vital to match the amount of chakra used to the severity of the affliction or injury. This requires a great amount of chakra control.

Henge no Jutsu: It is typically used to change into people other than oneself, but one also has the ability to change into animals, plants, and even inanimate objects like weapons. This gives this technique an abundance of uses. The transformation of a skilled shinobi will be exactly like the genuine article, so it will be impossible to tell the two apart. On the other hand, a transformation performed by an inexperienced person will have obvious discrepancies. It will be impossible to deceive anyone with it. This is one of the most basic ninjutsu, as such most shinobi know how to perform it.

Shunshin no Jutsu: By using the Shunshin no Jutsu, a ninja can move short to long distances at an almost untraceable speed. To an observer, it appears as if the user has teleported. It is accomplished by using chakra to temporarily vitalise the body and move at extreme speeds. The amount of chakra required depends on the overall distance and elevation between the user and the intended destination.

 **Cliffhanger, sorry about that. Originally I had the Kyuubi's resurfacing in the next chapter but I felt it would fit nicely into the chapter. Well, the next chapter will be shorter, and will be a short time skip. I hope you understand and will be patient for the next chapter. I hope to have the next one out by Wednesday. Till then,**

 **~Ardent Chronicler**


	9. Chapter 7 End of Arc 1:Childhood

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 **I DO NOT OWN NARUTO IN ANY SHAPE OR CAPACITY. I ONLY OWN MY FICTITIOUS OC'S.**

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 **Glossary: Scene breaks will be denoted by a line of X's**

"Speech"

' _Thoughts'_

" **Demonic or summons speech"**

' _ **Demonic or summons thoughts'**_

I got a good suggestion from reviewer GaoGod. I will be rending Jutsu in Japanese, and I will post a glossary at the end of the chapter for each Jutsu and their translation to English.

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 **As of right now I am debating on his love interest to be, an OC that I have used several times, Ame, Tsume Inuzuka, or someone from either a younger generation or older. To be honest I have been juggling the thought of Pakura, a Kumo-nin, maybe even an Iwa-nin. Something about that sort of romance, especially between enemy sides would add a spice to the story. Right as of now the most likely candidates are either Pakura, Ame (OC), or Tsume. Though I will be introducing the love interest during the time between Genin exams and Chunin exams that doesn't mean it will be set in stone. Hell if one of you have a better Idea, and a realistic on this is not a Harem story, then shoot me a PM with the reason why. I would love to hear some of your requests, it keeps things interesting.**

 **Ok, so just to clear three things up.**

 **Kushina was always going to become the jinchuriki.**

 **The injury from Hiruzen was panic induced, Hiruzen panicked and most people lose control of a few faculties during a panic attack. For Hiruzen's case it was his ability to reason and his strength, and yes my version of Hiruzen as stress and trauma induced Anxiety and Panic attacks, he is just more experienced in hiding them.**

 **Nikos injuries have been in the working since I finished the first chapter, I just didn't know exactly who till I moved forward with the Kyuubi's reformation. Niko was ALWAYS going to be injured, originally I had it set as a training incident leading to nerve damage in his arm, then I had it set for the Chunin exams arc for him to have broken his hip leading to a form of arthritis. Now I have it put into practice of Niko having been injured, this ties in with several short and long term consequences that I have listed.**

 **Now the main thing I need to get across is that to me, I still consider us in the Prologue arc. Once chapter 8 hits that is when I consider the story actually starting.**

 **Remember to follow to stay up to date with updates with the story, and a review would be appreciated!**

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Kushina curled tighter up on the bed she was chained to by her ankle. The first week she had tried to fight to get out, she did everything but couldn't get out, she was sealed. The second week she began to behave, she earned privileges such as walking outside the room, getting pictures of her friends, and writing letters to said friends. Minato's letters were a source of strength for her, and they talked often through the letters. The only people she saw were ANBU or the Sandaime, but his visits stopped after she bit him hard enough to tear skin. Now it was only the ANBU woman with the crow mask. She never had a bath, she was sprayed down by water jutsu, she didn't eat real food just ration bars, and only had two bottles of water per day. This was a living hell for her, the worst part? They wouldn't tell her how Niko was outside of him being in a coma and it killed her not knowing if he was alright or not.

Kushina looked up from her knees as the door swung open, there stood Jiraiya in the doorway and she began to bawl. Before the ANBU could even move Jiraiya was across the room breaking the chain with a kunai and hugging Kushina. She wrapped her body as much as she could around his and bawled so loudly it hurt her ears.

"I'm so sorry Kushina-chan, I am so so sorry. Hiruzen-sama wouldn't let me in, I wasn't allowed near you." Jiraiya's hand on the back of her head rubbed her scalp, placing an arm beneath her rear he lifted her off of the bed and began walking away. The ANBU tried to stop him but one look and that ended it. Jiraiya had become attached in a way he only was attached to one person before, he absolutely loved this little girl and her nephew. These were his kids, HIS little brother and sister, and no one will ever take them away again. With a puff of smoke Jiraiya used the Shunshin no Jutsu to move to the outside of the building. Stroking the back of Kushina's head he began to walk away from the building, not looking back because he knew Hiruzen was looking down from his window.

Kushina had her eyes closed, the light from being outside hurt them. She just tightened her grip on Jiraiya and got lost in the lull of him walking. She missed Jiraiya, and Niko, and Mikoto, and Minato, oh god Minato. How was she going to face him after what happened? Maybe Fuinjutsu lessons? Yeah, everything could be solved with a little bit of fuinjutsu.

"Hey, Kushina-chan."

"Hm?"

Jiraiya smiled softly and scratched the back of her head. "How does a sleepover with Mikoto-chan sound?" He felt Kushina nod and bury her nose back into the crook of his neck.

"Jiraiya-san."

"Hm?"

"Can, can I see Niko-kun?"

Jiraiya stopped walking, and his pulse raced. He sighed and nodded his head. "Well make that our second stop, Mikoto-chan has been visiting him everyday along with Minato-kun. First stop is the house so you can change clothes and get something to eat, you feel like skin and bone." Jiraiya felt her lay her head back down on his shoulder and he knew, this was going to be one of the hardest things he would ever do.

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Mikoto sighed, laying her chin on Nikos bed again, she felt Minato place a hand on her shoulder. She knew he was trying to comfort her or be nice, but right now she was just so lost. Her best friend vanished as soon as the Kyuubi no Kitsune appeared, Niko was hospitalized in a come, and she was just so lost. Standing up she turned to leave the room. "Want anything from the vending machines?"

Minato shook his head and continued his Fuinjutsu lessons. To other people it was squiggles and lines and weird shapes, but to him, Niko, Kushina, and his sensei this was their lifeblood. Minato was making a stroke with his brush when the door opened.

"Minato-kun?"

Minato froze, he dropped his brush, ink, and his pad and stood up. Turning with wide eyes there she stood. Her hair like fire, eyes like amethyst, and her skin like porcelain. He felt the blush flood his cheeks but when he saw the tears in her eyes he walked up to her and hugged her as tight as he could. "I was so afraid I would never see you again. After Sandaime-sama hurt Niko and took you, I didn't know what to do." He felt her start to shake and felt the front of his shirt begin to moisten. She was crying, and his heart froze over with rage. You see Minato was not like Jiraiya where his rage was like a fire. His rage was calm, vicious, and would hurt the most. A fiery rage was explosive but ended quickly, but Minato's? His rage would seep into every pore acting as if a soothing balm. Then when he was good and ready, it would tear asunder everything and anything that is touched, it would eviscerate his enemies, and his enemy just became the Sandaime Hokage.

"I was so scared, and I heard Niko was hurt, and then no one would talk to me until I could send letters. I tried to write and ask questions but they would burn the letters and, and." Kushina's lip began to quiver and she buried her head into Minato's shoulder bawling her eyes out. She didn't care right now, all that mattered was that she was here. She heard a cup drop and the soft voice that spoke caused her to turn around.

"Kushina?"

Seeing Mikoto with dark rings and bags around her eyes, her unkempt hair, and her red eyes struck a chord in Kushina. She didn't even hesitate, running and basically tackling her best friend in the world to the ground the two girls began to cry. The two sat there for a good while just hugging and crying, letting all their pent up sadness go.

Jiraiya felt Minato's hand tug on his sleeve. Looking down he saw Minato's eyes and he saw something that terrified him, that cold silent rage.

"I want to become stronger, nay, the strongest. No one will ever touch her again, so I want you to stop holding back during our training. I need to get as strong as I can, for her sake and Niko's." Minato poured his heart out on his sleeve, hoping that it would be enough to sway Jiraiya.

"I can guarantee you, by the time I am done with you, no one will stand at the same peak as you. No one."

"Good." Minato closed his eyes and burned this feeling, this cold rage into his heart. For years to come this rage would be his motivator, but at the same time his undoing.

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Kushina sighed again, her Sensei had let her out early again to come and visit Niko. She hadn't been on a mission in over a month if you count the time she was locked away. It had been five weeks since her becoming a jinchuriki. She had the same routine nearly every day: Wake up, breakfast, training with her team till lunch, lunch, go see Niko, leave with Jiraiya and Minato, training with both of them, dinner, home, more training, sleep. It left her with a monotony that was comforting but beginning to stagnate. She placed her hand in Niko's cold one and sighed again, she missed him, even if he was quiet, reserved, and antisocial, he was a light in her life. Her mind wandered as she thought about the hospital, there had been whispers. Apparently during the first week Niko's attending nurse had been killed in an unfortunate accident. One of the trees in the courtyard fell on her during her break. The second nurse had another unfortunate accident, she was walking on her way to work when a strong gust blew a pallet of bricks from the top of a construction site, she had been crushed and killed. The third nurse survived her accident. She had been on the way to work when she said she was beset upon by 'shadow people', what that mean no one knew. She managed to survive with a slit throat, and bruising in the shape of hands on her wrists. The fourth nurse suffered from a brain aneurysm. People had been whispering about Niko being cursed, and any nurse who had been willing to attend to him had immediately stopped in their way. Only Uchiha-sensei was unscathed, not without his fare share of accidents. He had nearly been killed three times by malfunctioning equipment, 'shadow animals with no chakra', and a falling house. It was just strange, if all of this was happening to people around Niko, why not to her, Minato, Mikoto, Jiraiya? It was just so strange.

Hearing the door open Kushina turned and saw Uchiha-sensei come through the door.

"Good evening Uzumaki-san, has he been behaving?"

Kushina nodded and sat back in her chair.

"Good, I'm just going to take down his vitals, so how's the training going?"

"Well, Jiraiya-san says that I am nearly a master in Barrier and Offensive fuinjutsu. Tachibana-sensei has been teaching me a lot of wind Ninjutsu, and to be honest they seem a little too easy. Though Futakata-kun died on a mission a couple weeks ago. I miss him, he was one of my friends." Kushina sighed and laid her head on the side of Niko's bed looking up at his face.

"How's things coming along with Minato, have you asked him out yet?" Kotaru chuckled and looked down at Niko, opening each eyelid and using his pen light to check his pupil dilation.

"Well, I was, um, I was waiting to see if Minato-kun would ask first." Kushina blushed and buried her face in the covers.

"Oh? He doesn't seem the type to me, you may have to make the first move. Believe it or not, Mikoto-chan has to make moves on Fugaku-kun for him to do anything." Kotaru loved his little Mikoto above all else, but Fugaku? He was denser than a pile of bricks when it came to emotions.

"I see, so how's Niko doing?"

"He's." Kotaru barely had time to react before Niko sat up in his bed choking. Kotaru pushed him down and shouted for help in Nikos room. Several nurses ran in and one of them escorted Kushina out of the room. Kotaru gingerly removed the feeding tube, turning Niko on his side he watched Niko throw up. Rubbing his back he made shushing noises. He sighed watching Niko fall asleep, checking his pulse he noticed an increased heart rate. This was good, Nikos body was waking up, though he could have used less puking. Kotaru left the room and saw Kushina bouncing her leg and biting on her thumbs nail.

"Kotaru-sensei! Is he?"

"Yeah, he's awake, well in a way. He fell asleep but this time it is just a nap. Give him some time to rest before he wakes up." Kotaru patted Kushina's head and smiled down to her.

"Ok Kotaru-sensei." She sat back down on her chair and crossed her arms and closed her eyes. This was good, he was awake, but not awake awake. She could wait, after a month of waiting, she could handle a few more hours.

"Kushina-chan, you ready for training?"

Kushina turned and saw Jiraiya waving his arm as he led Minato down the hallway. She stood up quickly and ran towards them hugging her arms around Jiraiya's midsection. "He woke up! Niko woke up, the doctor says he's napping right now but, Niko woke up!"

Jiraiya froze, he moved Kushina aside and ran down to Niko's room. Opening the door quietly he peered at Niko. Feeling a hand on his shoulder Jiraiya turned and saw Uchiha-sensei standing there.

"Follow me Jiraiya-sama, I'll explain."

Jiraiya nodded and waved to the kids to wait there for him. Uchiha-sensei had eventually led him to a kind of conference room and motioned for him to take a seat.

"Ok, so first things first, Niko is out of his coma. The problem still remains of the seizures, now I can prescribe some of the medicine we have been giving him but I have a recommendation for when you both leave."

"What would that be?"

"Find Yamanaka Ichijou, he grows a certain plant we use in the treatment of psychological disorders. It is a plant called Cannabis, there are different types but what I suggest you ask from him is the oil. The CBD oil has shown progress in the treatment of epileptic seizures, such as the TLS seizures that Niko has. Now, Ichijou is a good friend of mine so that should help you in getting some of the oil for a lower price. With this treatment Niko-kun should be able to manage his seizures to the point of being able to be a ninja again but Epilepsy like this doesn't vanish."

"Well what do we do?"

"To be honest with epileptic seizures there are a few things that show as warning signs. We call them aura's, but he may also show with Focal Impaired Awareness seizures. If the later shows it may be good for him to seek out a career as something other than a ninja."

"Why is that?"

"Well a Focal Impaired Awareness seizure, also known as a Complex partial seizure, can be associated with a fixed stare, impaired consciousness, fumbling with their fingers, or lip-smacking movements that last typically around a minute, but some are shorter. Some people also speak gibberish or lose their ability to speak in a sensible manner. Some people say they have problems with language, particularly if the seizures are coming from the dominant temporal lobe. Some people may have a generalized tonic-clonic jerking and this can lead to weakness after the seizure has stopped. In a shinobi any single one of these could cause certain death so I don't need to remind you how pertinent it will be to watch him. If any of these symptoms show, then immediately treat Niko with some of the CBD oil. It won't stop the seizure but it will lighten it to the point it won't be overbearing."

Jiraiya rubbed his face with his hands and nodded. "What if we don't go with the CBD oil?"

"The medicine we have been treating him with, Depakote can help with the seizures but I would advise against it if you can get the oil from Ichijou."

Jiraiya nodded and leaned back in the office chair. "Well, what about him, how long do you think he's going to be staying here?"

"Not long at all. A few days, we have been using muscle stimulation treatments during his Coma to keep his muscles from atrophying. He might have a bout of weakness and loss of appetite for the next few days but he should be fine to leave in three to five days. Does that sound ok?"

"Mm." Jiraiya stood and shook Uchiha-sensei's hand. Niko was finally awake and that is all that mattered.

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Minato cracked his knuckles, focusing on one thought and one thought only. Winning this spar. HAving been asked to fight against the famous INO-SHIKA-CHO team was a privilege as someone who was not a Jonin yet. These men were famous, Inoma, the head mistress of the Yamanaka clan. Shikatama, the clan head of the Nara clan and strategic advisor to the council of elders. Chokuro, the head of the Akimichi clan, Jonin Commander, and the man who was known far and wide as the Mountain. One of these ninja by themselves were dangerous, the Yamanaka and Nara heads were listed as an A-ranked threat while Chokuro was listed as an S-class threat avoid at all costs in the bingo book. His most notable feat? He fought, bare handed with the Yonbi in the second war, and won. He took out a fully transformed Jinchuriki with decades of experience within two minutes of a taijutsu fight that shook mountains. He crushed a bijuudama in one hand without loosing so much as a hair. This man was a legend that stood with giants, and he was…. gushing about Minato's outfit?

"Oh Inoma! The colors go so well with his natural coloring! Oh dear, Minato-kun, you should wear something that would pop your eyes more than your hair have you thought about wearing makeup? You should, your eyes are just to die for. Don't you agree Inoma?"

Minato's eyebrow was twitching. He had been called out to fight these three and what he saw did not match his expectations at all. Inoma only wore breast bindings over her chest and a loose set of pants with a katana on her hip. Her hair stretched down to the back of her knees. She was gorgeous, the most beautiful woman he had ever seen, barring Kushina of course. Chokuro was stereotypically an overweight mess, but the problem was, that when he had seen the mans arms in person. His arms were bulging with muscle, not fat. This man was deceivingly strong. Shikatama however, was different. He was absolutely silent the whole time, his black eyes watching Minato's every move with scrutiny. The problem was that Shikatama had copious amounts of makeup on. As in he looked like a geisha.

"Oh shut up fatass, the kids here to fight, so let's fucking fight already sheesh."

"Well, you might look like one but you don't have to act like a Yakuza Inoma-chan."

Minato was about to interject but ver instinct he had trained told him to leap backwards. As soon as he did Inoma was there, right where he was unsheathing her sword faster than his eyes could perceive, and he would have been dead. Gritting his teeth he summoned one of his special Raijin kunai from the seal on his wrist. Following his instincts he leaped to the right, slif forward, ducked under her sword and his hand slaped her theigh.

"Oi! Uppity brat, didn't your mom ever teach you never to touch a lady in inappropriate places?"

Minato huffed, she was good. Deceivingly good, he had never seen this type of sword play. Barely raising his kunai up in time he blocked and held Inoma's katana in place.

"Good kid, really good, too bad you weren't paying attention."

Minato leapt back using Inoma's own strength to thrust him through the air and landing a few dozen meters back. He saw the black thread retreat to the Nara member, however he was not fast enough to dodge the fist that threatened to cave in his chest. Losing his vision for a split second a sickening crack was all he heard as his back hit the tree.

"Oh no, poor thing, I hope I didn't hit you too hard. I am so so sorry!"

Minato looked forward and saw the truth of the matter, Inoma was the close ranged specialist, Shikatama to the side, obviously looking for a moment to ambush and trap Minato, and not far from Shikatama was the ever present Mountain ready to crush any fly stuck in their trap.

"He did pretty good, don't you think Inoma, he did block one of your attacks."

Minato blinked, the voice, it came from Shikatama but his lips never moved. Then he saw it, the inky black thread holding Shikatama's mouth closed.

"He's pretty good, seems we will be taking Jiraiya-chan up on his offer. So tell the fucking pervert to back the fuck up from our business. He's ours for the next year."

Minato blinked and could only fear for his life.

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Niko groaned, he felt like a train ha run him over, several dozen times. He opened his eyes wincing at the bright white ceiling.

"Niko-kun!"

Niko turned and saw Kushina smiling brightly, eyes filled to the brim with tears. Then he was being hugged tightly, then he remembered everything.

"Kushina-oba, what, what happened after we got you? All I remember is Minato, you, and I standing on a roof then, nothing." Niko watched her face go through a gauntlet of emotions. Ranging from rage to hurt, to joy to sadness, and back to rage again. What in the world had happened?"

"I can answer you Niko-kun." Jiraiya smiled at the sight, Kushina hugging Niko who was awake and seemed fine. "When the three of you had gotten back to the village the Kyuubi reformed. Hiruzen-sama came and tried to take Kushina-chan. You said to take you in place of her but he would have none of it. So he threw you to the side, but he forgot himself in the moment and had thrown you too hard. You impacted a wall and suffered brain damages, a broken neck, and a crushed skull plate. If not for, if not for your resilient Senju body and your strong affinity to Iryo-chakra, you would have died instantly on impact." Jiraiya saw the look of hurt and betrayal run through Nikos eyes. Hiruzen was something of a grandfather figure to the two, but after what he had done even if unknowingly, it would drive a wedge. Jiraiya just had no idea that it didn't make a wedge, it created a chasm as deep as an abyss.

"Mm." Niko buried his head into Kushina's shoulder, he was confused when it felt like he was free falling, like he had been thrown from a cliff.

Kushina was frightened when Niko stopped moving, just leaning against her. "Jiraiya-san!"

"Uchiha-sensei!" Jiraiya threw the door open and Uchiha-sensei ran into the room and saw Niko's dead stare. He dug into his lab coats pocket and retrieved a small needleless syringe with a milky solution in it. Slipping the tip of the needle back into Niko's mouth he shot the substance down Niko's throat.

"There, that should help."

"What, What happened to him!" Kushina was cradling Nio to her chest, she felt so terrified, he never blanks out!

"Kushina-chan, Niko-kun is having a seizure. It is a common form of an epileptic episode, he's just blanked out." Kotaru sighed and patted her head gently. "Honestly you holding him is a good thing for right now. Depending on its severity he could have collapsed."

Kushina nodded and looked down into Niko's eyes and noticed the brightness in his eyes lighting back up. She smiled widely and hugged him tightly.

"What, Oba? What is, how did I get here?" Niko was confused, one second he was sitting up and being hugged, the next second he is laying down in Kushina's lap.

"Good evening Niko-kun, do you remember me?"

Niko nodded and looked around. He was in the hospital, he remembered a brief talk with Kushina and Jiraiya came in and then he was laying down. "Did something happen? Why am I laying down, I was just sitting up."

Kotaru scratched the back of his head gingerly. "Well Niko-kun, you had a seizure."

"What?" Niko was confused, from what his memories told him didn't seizure involve convulsing bodies, throw up, that like?

"You had an epileptic seizure. Epileptic seizures are not like stereotypical body seizures. You simply spaced out on us, and came back after the episode was treated."

Niko felt his stomach lurch and looked down at his hands, he wanted to go home, to wrap himself up in one of Kushina's oversized shirts. To sit with his supplies and draw more Fuinjutsu, to practice with Kagami. "I can still be a ninja?"

"I would not suggest it kid. If you have an episode like that one there in the middle of a battle you would be dead. I would recommend looking outside of the Shinobi arts for your lifes career but I know you don't want that option. I talked it over with Jiraiya-sama and we have a plan. We'll talk more when you are more awake." Kotaru ruffled Niko's long hair and turned to leave.

"Wait! Kotaru-sensei!"

Kotaru turned, it was Kushina that called out to him. He smiled softly to her and nodded. "She will be ready, just drop by the house on your way home. If you both want she can stay till Niko-kun goes home, sound good?"

Kushina nodded her head vigorously and hugged Niko tightly. She laid down on the bed and just held her nephew, and she cried into the crown of his hair, this was going to be hard but she would manage, she had to.

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It took him three days to be cleared to go home and he was excited. When he got home there was a party! A warm atmosphere of the only people he truly trusted. Mina-sensei had gotten him a set of gauntlets that helped with the channeling of chakra and had plating on the palms to parry swords. She had ordered them especially with his taijutsu in mind. Jiraiya had bought him a new set of clothes since his others were a little short on him. A short sleeved, navy hoodie with navy shinobi slacks. A set of fishnet armor long sleeve shirt and pants, and a new set of reinforced blue Ninja sandals. Minato had not gotten him anything but regaled him with tales of awesome missions and his new training regime. It sounded brutal but Niko knew it would pay off, Minato would be at the peak, and that was what he knew Minato wanted. Kushina had gotten him something special, it was a necklace but the small item attached to the string he knew intimately well.

"Kushina-oba, where did you!"

"My team went to the ruins to search for Uzumaki relics. I took a side trip to Chichi-ue's home and in the ruins I found it. Ane-ue's special bell earing. It was a little squished so I had to get help fixing it. The seals still work too, I figure she would want you to have it." Kushina smiled watching his eyes fill with tears clutching the small bell to his chest. His reaction was worth the price it took to not only fix it, but the danger it posed going there. She reached out and ruffled his hair affectionately.

"Thank, thank you so much Kushina-oba! I, I don't have anything, and this is." Niko leapt forward enrapturing Kushina in a tight hug. He would never forget this, this one kindness that sat in his heart above all others. He was about to say something when the door opened revealing Kagami with a wrapped gift the size of Niko's torso.

"Kagami-sama, good of you to join us." Mina looked the aged Uchiha in the eye. She knew of his reconnaissance and she did not approve, but she couldn't stop him. After all the only two to command Ryuu, was Hinotori and the Hokage. She gave him a polite smile and heard him scoff at her.

"A pleasure Hyuuga-chan." Kagami looked over his student, Niko seemed to have lost weight. That was only natural being in a coma for a month but he didn't think it would be so visible. He strode forward and sat the large box that was under his ar on the floor.

"Kagami-sensei, it's good to see you." Niko gave his sensei a timid smile, small and telling that was what he had promised. A smile reserved only for those he trusted completely. He sat down in front of the large box and started removing the wrapping. Once clear of the paper it was a large set for Chess.

"I figured till you are back in gear to train your body, you can train your mind." Kagami smiled as he looked at Nikos eyes. Something a child shouldn't have, nostalgia, and happiness mixed into two. Like an old friend being reunited, but as far as he knew Niko had never played.

"Thank you so much sensei, this is, I mean. This means a lot to me, thank you very much." Niko smiled, Chess, the one pleasure he could remember from Joseph's life that the boy had overcome his handicap completely to play. He remembered all the moves, the set ups, strategies, and he loved it. Placing a hand over it he exhaled a sigh and chuckled. This was amazing. It couldn't get any better than this.

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Niko was smiling, he had pinned Jiraiya in a corner with no way out. Jiraiya had no moves left except one, to move his king. If he did it was Checkmate, both Niko's knight and Rook in position to take his King.

"Shit Niko-kun, you're really good at this." Jiraiya sighed and raised his hands in defeat. "You got me, I can't do anything, good game."

Niko beamed at the praise, he put the pieces back in their wooden holding and placed the two cartridges back into the holes on the side of the board for storage. Niko was about to go to the kitchen to get some water when Kushina ran inside. "Welcome back Kushina-oba, do you want anything from the kitchen?"

"No, I'm fine! Mikoto-chan wants to come by and have a spar tomorrow, will that cut into your training with Mina-san?"

"Oh, no Oba-chan, that'll be fine. We're just working on Shosen again." Niko came back into the room a clear glass in his hand filled with water.

Jiraiya cleared his throat loudly getting the attention of the two. He sighed, he needed to tell them this and the sooner the better. "Um, Niko-kun, Kushina-chan, can you both come here and have a seat please? I need to talk to the two of you."

Niko followed Kushina over to the couch and the two sat next to each other. What was so important Jiraiya was flustered, wait. "Who did you knock up Jiraiya-san?"

Jiraiya's eyebrow twitched as he covered his arms. Kushina's mad cackles were not helping the situation but he reached upwards and pinched the bridge of his nose. "This is serious, and no I haven't impregnated anyone."

Niko nodded and took a loud slurp, his disbelief in Jiraiya's statement clear on his face. Kushina ackled harder.

"I'm serious, it's about THAT night."

Niko was instantly focused, and Kushina stopped laughing. Both focused on Jiraiya wholly.

"Well, where to begin. I guess the easier parts than the harder parts, eh? Ok, well as of today Niko is re-registered back into the Academy, and will take remedial courses to catch up. Knowing you though my little wonder star, you will already have known the information. Secondly, Kushina you have been offered an apprenticeship with your sensei full time since your team cleared the Chunin exams in your absence after the Incident. Finally, well, shit this is harder than I thought."

Kushina stood up and trotted over to Jiraiya hugging him tightly and plopping down in his lap. Not to be outdone she watched Niko full out run and glomp Jiraiya from behind latching onto his neck. "Just take your time Jiraiya-san, you know you have all the time in the world."

"Well, when I first took you two in I thought it was a mistake. So when I talked to Kagami-sama about coming to train Niko, I asked for his daughter to adopt you two. KAgami-sama talked sense into me and since I have tried to be a better role model for the both of you. Well, somewhere in the last few years, I find myself having to come to love both of you. Much more than a guardian, and when I saw Kushina being taken away and Nikos broken body. I, I held him in my arms, so fragile and hurt, and then I tried to kill Sensei when I saw him. It made me realize, I don't just love you two as a guardian," Jiraiya reached into his Hakama and removed a rolled piece of paper and laid it down in front of him. Pulling the tie strings he smiled softly down at the piece of paper. "I want to formally adopt the two of you. I love the both of you as if you were my own kids, I love the two of you so much it hurts. I know I'm not the best guy, but I think this would be good, for all of us. What do you two say?" Jiraiya saw Kushina's thoughtful face, how she bit her lip when she was in deep thought, or how her brows furrowed. Niko for sure was making that face where his nose squinches and his eyes nearly close.

"I think… it's a good idea." Kushina smiled softly and hugged Jiraiya tightly. He wasn't like her father, but he was a good papa in his own way. "Just don't expect me to start calling you Chichi, 'ttebane!"

Jiraiya nodded and felt Niko let go of Jiraiya's shoulders. He watched Niko with a determined look stand in front of him in between the man and the papers and cross his arms. Well shit, he was giving him the Tsunade look.

"Are you sure you are ready for this, Jiraiya-san? This isn't like us living with you and you signing a few papers every once in a while. We will be legally your children, that means PT meetings, being there for graduations, first dates, marriages, grandchildren, everything. This means family, not just us, but family." Niko was looking in Jiraiya's eye, the eyes were the windows of the soul and once Niko activated his doujutsu, the intentions and the emotions of the man were visible. He was being truthful, he was proud, and determined. Niko nodded.

"I am sure Niko-kun, I, I want this more than anything."

Niko slapped his hands against Jiraiya's cheeks and nodded hugging his face tightly. "If she won't, I'll call you Otou-san." Niko never had a father figure, sure he had his Ojii-sama, and Kagami-sensei, but no one like this. Jiraiya had taught him a lot, and had helped him through some tough things. Jiraiya wasn't his birth father, but he was the father Niko was going to choose. Niko knew, there was very few people he actually trusted with everything. Mina he trusted her goals aligned with his own for now, Kagami was fulfilling an obligation, but Mikoto, Kushina, Minato his best friend, and Jiraiya. They all loved him and he trusted them with his life.

Jiraiya hugged both of the kids tightly, his heart was fluttering and he was so excited. Tomorrow the forms would be turned in and processed, and the kids would be his kids in all ways but genetics. "I love you both, Niko-kun, Kushina-chan."

"I love you too, Jiraiya-san."

"I love you too, Otou-san."

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After Jiraiya's adoption of him and Kushina things had been great. His training had picked back up, Kagami had been pushing him harder, the new liquid medicine was working wonders, and he rarely had seizures. Mina was teaching him how to fine tune the Shosen and perform the sterilization technique, it was great. He was even surprised at his Taijutsu, he was nearly nine, only a week till his birthday and Kagami had him fight against his granddaughter. Not Mikoto but her older Chunin sister, Namako, and damn was she good. Most of the time he had been pushed back but in the end he had managed to push through and pin her. His shield caught her off guard when he literally deflected her Goukakyuu jutsu instead of dodging it. Her surprise stopped her for a long enough time for Niko to knock her to the ground and pin her with his shields edge to her throat. Kagami was proud, even though Namako held back Niko managed to take her to her knees and pin her. The best part of what Kagami said? H finally just trusted his body to attack, he didn't even think about what to do, he just, well, did it.

The Academy was good, he didn't really make any friends but on his exam day he was excited. He just needed to show an example of a ninjutsu to get the bonus points to pass with being the rookie of the year. So he did his best jutsu possible, his hand igniting an ethereal green, a practised Shosen no Jutsu. It impressed his teachers and he got it, Rookie of the Year. He chose a normal forehead protector, tying it around his forehead he waited in anticipation.

"Fly and be back tomorrow for your team selections. I am proud to have been all of your teacher and I look forward to serving with you as comrades. You are dismissed."

Niko shot up from his seat and ran out the door. The hood of his hoodie falling from his head, he burst through the doors and saw Kushina, Minato, and Jiraiya all at the gate to the Academy. With a smile he ran to join them and with a whoop whoop Jiraiya hoisted Niko onto his shoulder. This was as good as it could get!

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 **Alright people, so for the rest of the story I will try to cut down on the time skips unless there is nothing to fill in, like empty days between missions where nothing happens. Thus ends the first arc of our story, Childhood. I hope you all enjoyed this first arc and I hope you paid attention to the events of the last three to four chapters, every single event was significant to the story in the long and short of it. Next arc is up, named affectionately Dog Days. Till the next chapter,**

 **~Ardent Chronicler**

 **Jutsu Glossary:**

Gokakyu no Jutsu: A technique where chakra kneaded inside the body is converted into fire and expelled from the mouth, either as a massive sphere or as a continuous flame-thrower. The released flames will engulf their target, and is capable of leaving a crater in the ground's surface. The scope of this attack is altered by controlling the volume of chakra that is mustered.

Shosen Jutsu: The Shosen is a medical ninjutsu which allows the user to speed up the body's natural healing process by sending chakra from their hands into a wound or affected body part. This allows the user to heal a patient without the need for medical equipment or surgery, making it very useful on the battlefield. It can be used to treat both external and internal injuries. It is vital to match the amount of chakra used to the severity of the affliction or injury. This requires a great amount of chakra control.

Shunshin no Jutsu: By using the Shunshin no Jutsu, a ninja can move short to long distances at an almost untraceable speed. To an observer, it appears as if the user has teleported. It is accomplished by using chakra to temporarily vitalise the body and move at extreme speeds. The amount of chakra required depends on the overall distance and elevation between the user and the intended destination.


	10. Chapter 8

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 **I DO NOT OWN NARUTO IN ANY SHAPE OR CAPACITY. I ONLY OWN MY FICTITIOUS OC'S.**

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 **Glossary: Scene breaks will be denoted by a line of X's**

"Speech"

' _Thoughts'_

" **Demonic or summons speech"**

' _ **Demonic or summons thoughts'**_

I got a good suggestion from reviewer GaoGod. I will be rending Jutsu in Japanese, and I will post a glossary at the end of the chapter for each Jutsu and their translation to English.

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 **As of right now I am debating on his love interest to be, an OC that I have used several times, Ame, Tsume Inuzuka, or someone from either a younger generation or older. To be honest I have been juggling the thought of Pakura, a Kumo-nin, maybe even an Iwa-nin. Something about that sort of romance, especially between enemy sides would add a spice to the story. Right as of now the most likely candidates are either Pakura, Ame (OC), or Tsume. Though I will be introducing the love interest during the time between Genin exams and Chunin exams that doesn't mean it will be set in stone. Hell if one of you have a better Idea, and a realistic on this is not a Harem story, then shoot me a PM with the reason why. I would love to hear some of your requests, it keeps things interesting. Though I will be introducing the love interest as early as Chapter 15 or by the Chunin exams, so make sure you pay attention to the characters!**

 **ALSO BIG IMPORTANT THING: I realize I never gave an apt description of what Niko looks like outside of a few features and his clothing. So I made this character chart:**

 **Name: Niko Senju-Uzumaki**

 **Age: 8 almost 9**

 **DOB: October 10th (I know Naruto's birthday is the same)**

 **Hair color: Pale blue hair reaching the small of his back (If needing a visual reference look up his sire Dan Kato, same shade but Tsunade's kind of full and thick floofyness)**

 **Eye color: Chocolate brown (like Tsunade)**

 **Height: 3 foot and 10 inches (short for his age by 2-4 inches give or take)**

 **Weight: 43 pounds (lighter than his ages average of 50 pounds)**

 **Inherited most of Dan's features, though he has Tsunade's eyes, nose, and hair type. At time of graduation, think of Tsunade's genin pictures but with a darker tan, straighter jaw, and Dan's chin.**

 **Clothes at Graduation: Wire mesh under armor, thin dark navy hoodie with a kind of trapezoidal shape cut from the front of the neck showing the armor underneath. Standard Navy Shinobi bottoms, like Minato's, and blue standard issue Shinobi sandals. Only notable things other about his appearance is the small scar right below where his left temple is located, he has scarred skin across his lips from a bad habit of biting them, and his hair is tied back like Shippuden Neji's with the hair tie towards the end of the hair. Keeps his loger hair tucked into his hoodie but frequently lets it out during the hot months.**

 **Also if someone would be willing to make a picture of Niko I would love to see some art of him. I have this image in my head of him but, I can't draw worth a damn, so. Any artsy people reading this, I would love to see any art of him, even if it's a picture that is recolored and re proportioned Dan or Tsunade, just something ya know?**

 **So, I figured I would update you on the ages to stay up to date:**

 **Niko: 8 only 8 days from being 9**

 **Niko's Classmates: 11 to 12 yo**

 **Kushina: 11**

 **Minato: 11**

 **Mikoto: 12**

 **Jiraiya: 25**

 **(These are based on rough math from calculating Kushina and Minato's age. They died at 24 in the manga, and it was 16 years later that Jiraiya died. So subtracting the 29 years from Jiraiya's canon death age of 54 would leave him at 25. This leaves Tsunade at being pregnant with Niko around 15 years of age. If I got numbers wrong I would be happy to see the revisions because I kind of suck at math.)**

 **Remember to follow to stay up to date with updates with the story, and a review would be appreciated!**

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"Niko-kun, Niiiko-kun~ It's time to get up, you don't want to be late for team assignments." Kushina smiled softly down the the sleeping eight year old. Sighing she removed the hair tie he forgot in his hair again. Rebundling his hair she put the hair tie back on his hair. Gently brushing his hair behind his ear she began to hum in his ear trying to wake him up. He couldn't stand something like humming or bees around his ears. With a swat Kushina giggled, he almost got her that time, she moved the covers from his body. She turned him over, and with a groan his eyes started to crack open. Kushina leaned down and planted a kiss on his forehead, smoothing the spot over with her thumb. Niko was not much of a morning person at all, in fact he usually hated early mornings. Kushina lifted him into her arms and his legs wrapped around her torso, walking him to the bathroom she sat him on the side of the tub. Kushina shimmied into her and Niko's shared room and dug out his new outfit from his chest of drawers. Walking back into the bathroom she took his discarded pajamas and laid his clothes on the bathroom sink. Kushina was used to this routine, the last few weeks she had been wanting to dote on him as much as possible, after all, today was the last day he was her precious Niko, and starting today he was Niko Uzumaki Genin of Konohagakure no Sato, heir to the Uzumaki clan. She smiled widely as she closed the door behind her to leave him to get ready. Heading to Jiraiya's makeshift office, she dug open one of the scrolls labeled "Training" and sat it on the dining table on the right side of the large single room. She was going to do everything in her power to make sure he was ready for anything that could happen. She remembered her Jounin Sensei had decided to have their exam on the same day. Kushina bit her lip and opened the scroll. Removing one of her missions ones from her pouch she made sure to load his scroll with different sealing tags, and hopefully they would come in handy. Kushina sighed and moved to the kitchen to prepare Niko a little something for breakfast.

Niko pulled on his hoodie and stretched his back. Stepping out of the bathroom he smelled something really really good. Walking to the kitchen, yawning onc he was around the corner he saw Kushina, in her missions gear, cooking breakfast. "Oba-chan, you don't have to cook for me. I know you have a mission."

Kushina shrugged and focused on not burning the egg like Mikoto had taught her.

Niko just huffed and sat down at the table giving the Training scroll a look see. Jiraiya's training scrolls were loaded with five seals. One was for Kunai, it held thirty of the knives. Another was for Shuriken, it held fifty of these. Thirdly was the seal for some wire, about half a kilometer of wire. In the fourth was a full set of five Paralyzation tags, three explosive tags, five demo charge tags, six smoke tags, and twenty-three of Kushina's special prank tags filled with a washable glue and glitter. Nothing says shame for being beaten like being covered in glue and glitter. Finally in the fifth seal was lunch, due to how time works in a seal dimension the Bento, after being freshly cooked, could stay that way for about three months. Kushina's mission scrolls were packed with several dozen bowls of Ichiraku Ramen she would buy the day before a mission. Personally Niko would prefer sweet mochi with anko filling, he could get old, fat, and happy on that stuff. Placing the scroll in the pouch on the back of his right hip Niko sat back and closed his eyes yawning one more time.

"Here ya go Niko-kun, enjoy!" Kushina had fixed Niko a quick Dashi egg over rice for breakfast. Not having too much time she had to use some leftovers, but hopefully it would tide him over till lunch. Running to the other side of the table she kissed his forehead and hurried towards the door. "Remember to lock the door when you leave! Minato-kun and I will be gone with Tachibana-san for about three days on this quick mission, so make sure to tell me all about it when I get back, ok?"

"Mm." Niko grunted and began to eat. Honestly he loved Kushina's cooking, when it wasn't rushed. Today seemed rushed. Niko scarfed down the breakfast and leapt to his feet. Running to the door he retrieved his sandals and strapped them on snuggly. It was time to get a move on, he was nervous, he didn't really have any friends due to him missing a portion of the year, skipping from a class to this one, and everyone thought he was totally weird. Niko closed the door and locked it with his key. Turning he nearly jumped as Kagami was standing behind him.

"What's the matter kid, did I spook you?" Kagami chuckled looking at the vicious puppy glare Niko was shooting his way. Kagami patted Niko on the head and motioned for him to follow. "Come now, I will walk you to school. Jiraiya apologizes again for not being able to walk you, he was looking forward to it today. Hiruzen needed him on a mission ASAP, so you'll have to excuse him today."

Niko just shrugged non-commitantly. Yawning again and giving a good stretch as they walked Niko close his eyes relying on his now ability to focus on chakra to guide him. Over the last week Kagami had Niko practice affecting other senses with the same chakra he used for activating his eyes, and so far nothing worked. Until two days ago when all of the sudden he could feel everything, and he meant EVERYTHING. Kagami attributed it to his great grand uncle and his amazing sensor capabilities but to Niko it was annoying. Try picturing that feeling of eyes on the back of your head, from all directions where people and animals were. Now amplify that to being able to, how would you put it, brush their chakra with our mind and feel it. Like touching a wall that was smooth or rough, and then processing it as chakra. Needless to say, it was an absolutely dreadful experience.

"How does your sensing feel today, any overloads?"

"No sensei, just some annoyance. Some Jonin is deciding to push his limits with a Katon jutsu in the training grounds and it feels like someone has their thumb in my head."

"Good, what about your medicine, do you have it?"

Niko nodded and patted the kunai sheath on his right thigh, it had just enough room to also store his medicine.

"Good, now remember, today is about meetings, try to socialize. These will be the people you will spend the majority of your missions with till you reach Tokubetsu or Jonin." Kagami spied Nikos lips moving like he was muttering something and just placed a hand on Niko's head. It seems the overload triggered a very minor seizure. Sighing he placed his hand on Niko's back and walked Niko into the large building that was the Academy.

Niko blinked his eyes rapidly and groaned, not again. He noticed he wasn't focused, but really? Now of all times? Niko looked up and saw Kagami give him a brief smile, Niko squeezed his pant leg tightly then let go as he walked towards his classroom door.

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"...and for Team three of this year. Uchiha Makato, Yamanaka Kinmokusei, and Uzumaki Niko. It seems your Jounin sensei will be, oh my, Hatake Sakumo. Your sensei is waiting in conference room 002 for you. He requests for you to meet him ASAP."

Niko looked around and stood as well as a Yamanaka girl and an Uchiha female. Niko followed the two out of the room assuming they knew where they were going, and lo and behold, the Yamanaka led them straight to room 002. The Yamanaka girl knocked on the door.

"Ah, come in." Sakumo brushed some of his silver hair from his eyes and looked at the three genin walk in. They didn't look like much, especially the two boys. The Uzumaki he had heard of from Jiraiya. Long faded blue hair, brown eyes, and a resting dick face. This was going to be fun. The Uchiha was hard to peg as a male at first, but the adam's apple gave him away. He was familiar with this boy, Makato, the youngest child of the Uchiha clan head. The boy was abnormally pretty, alabaster skin, long straight black hair pulled into a low ponytail. His big black eyes seemed to radiate happiness, something most Uchiha's don't show. The Yamanaka was a strange looking child. She hard vibrant golden yellow hair, and amber pupiless eyes. The three were dressed as uniquely as they looked. The Uzumaki boy was in a blue hoodie, uniform pants, and blue sandals. Wait was that, Konoha's cross? Was the kid an actually licensed Iryo Nin? The Uchiha was in a long, loose sleeved v-neck shirt that was black with a high collar that covered half of the back of his head. The Yamanaka was colorful, and an eyesore. She had a long sleeved Kimono style shirt, in a vibrant red color, tied closed with a vibrant yellow obi tied in a bow behind her back.. Underneath that was a vibrant yellow shirt. She seemed to be wearing grey arm warmer glove combos, long black leggings with an extremely vibrant, eye hurting purple skirt. She had bright yellow leg warmers on, and a dragonfly hair clip that was a dark green, pulling the bangs from the right side of her face. Her sandals were anything but standard, they were high heeled and grey. "Please come in, I think we should go through some introductions."

Niko looked the Jonin up and down, his face having shown age marks already, dark circles under his eyes, a tanto sticking out over his shoulder, and dressed in the standard Second Shinobi was Jounin uniform. The standard blues and a grey thick flack vest. What Niko saw in the Jounins eyes was something like he saw in Kagami, he had an old soul, and seemed weary.

"Um, Sensei, maybe, um, you should go first."

Sakumo smiled softly and nodded to the Yamanaka girl. Taking a seat in one of the chairs he propped his legs up on the table. "Well what is there to say? My name is Hatake Sakumo of the Hatake clan. I like my tsuma Ayane, my musuko Kakashi, my ninken Natsu, and a cool breeze. My dislikes are those who do not treasure what they have, hypocrites, and bratty children. My hobbies include, well, training with my tsuma, and now include training you three. My Dreams have already been fulfilled, except two. I wish to see Kakashi-chan grow up to be a strong man, and I wish to see the three of you excel beyond all comprehension. Now, Uchiha-san, would you please?"

"Um, well, my name is Makato, I am a part of the Uchiha clan, but not like the weird ones. My chichi is actually pretty cool, but my aniki tends to get on my last nerve."

Sakumo sighed, "Focus Makato."

"Oh, sorry, um, well let's see. I Like sweets, especially Dango, they are so good especially the fresh ones from Hayate-san, his are always soooo good!"

"Makato." Sakumo face palmed.

"Oh, sorry, I don't like spicy things, or people who make Aniki cry. Seriously you wouldn't believe how many times he cries! Mikoto-nee called him a whiny baby and he bawled like a girl! HA! Oh, sorry, um let's see. I don't really have any hobbies, unless you count going for walks. I love walking through the market district, you can smell all the goodies cooking. I would guess my dream for the future would be to go around the Elemental Nations and try out all the Dango in the world! It would be awesome can you imagine it!" Makato closed his eyes and made a humming noise. "Daaaaaaaaaaangooooooooo~!"

"Alright, moving on, Kinmokusei-chan, what about you, tell us something about you." Sakumo gave her a warm smile but saw her brows furrow and how she seemed to sink in on herself.

"I'm Yamanaka Kinmokusei, um, some people call me Kin, and some call me Moku. Um, I like, um, well. I like flowers, a lot, and colors. I also like to hang out with Makoto-kun at his house. Um, I don't like to be around a lot of people, and I don't like people staring at me. I paint some, I guess, and draw. I don't really have a dream, but I guess reaching Chunin would be nice." Kinmokusei's face glew red from embarrassment. Resting hr elbows on her knees she covered her eyes and seemed to go further into her shy bubble.

Sakumo sighed, his luck eh? A jabberjaw, ditz of an Uchiha, and a shy and antisocial Yamanaka. What pray tell does the Uzumaki have in store for him? "Niko-kun, you are next."

Niko just stared Sakumo in the eye, and after three throat clears, two gestures, and one sigh Niko sighed softly. "I am Uzumaki Niko, heir of the Uzumaki clan. I like my Oba-chan, my Otou-san, Minato-kun, and my Iryo ninjutsu. I don't like wasting my time with nothing, pushy people, and anyone who threatens my family. My hobbies include advancing my Iryo ninjutsu and Fuinjutsu. My dream of the future is to see my Oba-chan become the strongest ever, become the strongest right below her, and to rediscover some of the lost Fuinjutsu from Uzushiogakure my previous home."

Sakumo sighed, he had the trifecta. He had the social stunted, or something Uzumaki, the ditzy motor mouth Uchiha, and the shy antisocial Yamanaka. This feels like a prank, he's going to have to check some papers later. "Good, now I only have one question for the each of you before I dismiss you for the day. What is a shinobi in your own words?" Sakumo saw the three kids blink rapidly and adopt thinking faces. Unsurprisingly the motor mouth spoke first.

"I think that being a ninja is being able to use super cool and flashy ninjutsu! It's also protecting family and country from bad guys and to save people from bad guys. Makato smiled widely at his answer, of course, Shinobi were totally super duper awesome!

"Um, I think that um. I mean I guess Shinobi are weapons of their village, tools to complete their mission, but people forget that shinobi are people too." Kinmokusei blushed as she looked down and away from her sensei. Did she mess up, she hoped she didn't, she didn't think she could bare it if she got this wrong.

"Sensei, to be a Shinobi is not a simple question." Niko crossed his arms.

"Indeed, but I'm not asking for textbook answers, what do YOU see when you think of Shinobi. Like Sandaime-sama, or Jiraiya-san."

"Manipulative, some are back-stabbing, and a few mean well. Never trust any Shinobi with anything important to you. To be a Shinobi is to endure, not only hardships but each other." Niko closed his eyes and leaned back in his chair.

"What crawled up Chibi-chan's asshole?"

"Makato-kun, not nice. Apologize."

"Why? I'm not wrong."

Sakumo sighed in frustration, by the great log he needs to practice his patience more. "Just apologize."

"Ok ok, sorry I said something crawled in your ass Niko-san."

Niko shrugged and made a grunting noise. He honestly couldn't care less of what people said of him.

"Good, well kiddo's, tomorrow we have a survival exam. To see how good you are ok? Be at the Memorial Grounds tomorrow at, say, six o'clock AM?" Sakumo watched the three kids get up and leave one by one. This was going to suck badly. Makato and Niko already clashed, and Kinmokusei had self confidence issues, or she was extremely nervous. He needed to break the two boys of the bickering before it started, and maybe do something to like Kinmokuseis spirits. He would have to think on this.

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 **Sorry for the short chapter guys, but I wanted to have the introductions in their own chapter. Expect for the next chapter to be out sometime in the next few days, also happy new years eve to you all! Till next time,**

 **~Ardent Chronicler**


	11. Chapter 9

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 **I DO NOT OWN NARUTO IN ANY SHAPE OR CAPACITY. I ONLY OWN MY FICTITIOUS OC'S.**

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 **Glossary: Scene breaks will be denoted by a line of X's**

"Speech"

' _Thoughts'_

" **Demonic or summons speech"**

' _ **Demonic or summons thoughts'**_

I got a good suggestion from reviewer GaoGod. I will be rending Jutsu in Japanese, and I will post a glossary at the end of the chapter for each Jutsu and their translation to English.

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 **As of right now I have decided on the pairing for the story! Took me a while but after a while of mulling it over I know who it will be. Look forward to seeing her within 6 chapters, not spoiling anything either. I want you all to play a guessing game with me about ho it will be.**

 **Leave who you think the pairing will be with a review, I want to see if any of you guess correctly.**

 **Also I realize how horrible I am with keeping up descriptions. It was added in post writing what Niko's teammates actually looked like.**

 **One last thought, so the reason this chapter is delayed is that I had not written out the story in its totality, just till this point. So I have spent the better part of the time since the last chapter working on the plot line. As of right now, I have up till the Third War written, including three special missions, one filler mission, and of course Chunin Exams! So, I will be introducing themes that may not have been prevalent or shown at all in the past over the next couple dozen chapters, I apologize for that and will incorporate them with continuity as much as I can. If you spot a continuity error, please let me know, I have no beta or someone willing to help me with this.**

 **Remember to review and follow to stay up to date with Niko and his life.**

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Surprisingly, Niko was the last one to get to the memorial grounds. Sakumo was sleeping sat down next to one of the trees near the edge of the training ground. He seemed relaxed for a Jonin. Jiraiya and Orochimaru were always so high strung, and Kagami was a sadist with how he trains. From his absorbed memories he knows Sakumo is extremely strong, on par with, if not surpassing, the Sannin. Sakumo was feared as the White Fang because of something, was it a technique? No that didn't sound right. His hair? No that didn't feel right either. Oh, it was his sword, Niko nearly forgot. Sakumo could use white chakra, something that seemed like a clan ability but there was nothing much talked about what it really was. Niko took note as the man's eyes snapped open and he picked himself up from the ground.

"Ah, nice of you to finally join us Niko-kun."

Niko blinked, he left the house with enough time to reach the grounds easily. It wasn't even six o'clock yet, what did Sakumo mean?

"Well now that you are here we can begin. Now, I know that yesterday I told you three that you were going to have a survival exam. Well that was false, all Jonin sensei are required to give a secondary exam to see if you fresh graduates are worthy of being our students. As it so happens to be, you three have already passed my exam."

Makato's hand shot up. "What do you mean, what was the test? Was it that weird thing yesterday in the conference room? Oh I know maybe it was the strange stuff you ad us say?"

"Makato-kun, focus, and no it wasn't. I asked you each what being a Shinobi was, what it meant to you. You each gave me good answers. For Makato-kun it was to be strong, for Kinmokusei-chan it was a reminder that yes we have a job, but we still feel. For Niko-kun it was what a shinobi is at heart, deception, death, to always be suspicious of your surroundings. However, Niko-kun raised one point I want to bring up that neither of you two did. Niko-kun, can you tell me what the end of your answer was?"

Nikos brow raised and he crossed his arms.

"Niko-kun, please?"

Niko sighed and nodded. "Being a shinobi is to endure."

"Very good, now." Sakumo was interrupted by Kinmokusei raising her hand high.

"Sensei, what does he mean by, endure?"

"Well, let's see," Sakumo closed his eyes picturing all of those shinobi he has know who have fallen. "To use a personal example. In my life I have watched dozens of my friends die, I watched my family die, my brother. Through all of that I could have finally bit the dust, to have pushed everyone away, to commit suicide, but I didn't. I endure this agony, the broken heart I bear, because the village needs me, my son needs me, my tsuma needs me. To be a shinobi is to endure where others have failed, where others fall off we continue on. You each answered admirably with qualities that make a good shinobi. So I decided, I'm going to teach you three and I am going to see how far your definition of Shinobi takes you." Sakumo smiled warmly to the three Genin. He placed a hand on Kinmokusei and Niko's shoulders. "You three are going to go through things, terrible and good, and I want you to know as your Sensei, I will ALWAYS be here for you three."

"Even if we don't want help?" Kinmokusei blushed, she didn't mean to sound mean about it! She was just asking. She was told there are somethings you just don't talk to boys about, like make-up, clothes, cute boys. She didn't like to think Sakumo would know anything about those.

"Even if it won't be with words, I'll still be there for you." Sakumo clapped his hands together loudly. "Now, enough of this depressing stuff. I am going to spar with each and everyone of you to find out where you are and what we need to work on. I warn you three, I am not like other Jonin, I am going to be pushing you one hundred and ten percent right out of the gate. Our days are going to be split up into two portions. Six to ten will be training, physical training will be on mondays, wednesdays, and fridays. Elemental training will be tuesdays and thursdays, and on Saturdays we will be training our minds and learning tactics, how to set traps, about botany, and how to stay stealthy. Sundays you will have to yourself. On Monday, Tuesday, and Fridays we will be going on missions from ten to three in the evening. Nothing too exuberant, just a couple of D-ranks depending on their length. Now, I'm going to spar with each of you and then we will begin our elemental training. Makato, you are up first."

Makato smiled widely, he always wanted to fight a famous ninja! "Alright Sensei, but I won't hold back! Wait, are you going to hold back? I don't think that would be good if you didn't hold back, what if I end up in the hospital! Oh man Haha would be so angry!"

Sakumo didn't tell him to focus, instead he just threw three kunai at Makato. Seeing the boy leap to the left of the kunai Sakumo pressed forward. Meeting in a clash of fists and kicks Sakumo was impressed. Makato was keeping up with Sakumo even though he was using Chunin level Taijutsu! He definitely undersold Makato's skills. Sakumo bent back to avoid a high kick but he felt the blow land against his chest and push him back. That actually smarted, what in the world was that?

Makato smiled, genjutsu was active and was causing his sensei problems already! It was a simple genjutsu he had developed, didn't even have a name yet. It cause the targets brain to miscalculate distance, so something far off could be close and vice versa. For his sensei he must have blocked the hit but for Makato he was too far out when Sakumo dodged, so he landed the solid hit. Makato however, was not expecting Sakumo to shake off the hit in less than a second, but to grab his foot and toss Makato like a rag doll across the training field.

Sakumo was barely impressed when Makato hit him, but seeing Makato not catching himself and watching him roll across the ground from a simple throw? That was a little off putting. "Where is all that spunk? I thought you Uchiha are supposed to be good at fighting?" Sakumo took a step but stopped in place, the ground breaking away to form a crater that Sakumo started to sink into. Flaring his chakra Sakumo chuckled deeply. "You are good with Genjutsu, really good. When did you layer that one together?"

Makato stood to his feet shakily, that throw was worse than what his father usually put him through. "Being the brother to the clan heir of the Uchiha puts some expectations on me. Since Aniki is so strong Chichi pushes me farther and harder than Aniki. When we found out I had talent in Genjutsu Chichi pulled some strings and I studied under the Kurama clan and with Haha who is the Uchihas genjutsu mistress. Needless to say, I've got some talent!"

Sakumo nodded and held his hand out. "I've seen all I need to see. You are proficient in taijutsu and genjutsu. Seperate those are strong, together those are strong enough to handle someone out of your league. We will have to work on your subtlety though. Now, Niko, your turn."

Nodding Niko walked past Makato and stood in the center of the field. Taking his stance for the Feinting Swallow, Niko nodded to his sensei that he was ready. Niko blinked and Sakumo was in front of him, reacting how Kushina had taught him he channeled chakra to the seal on his palm summoning his small barrier shield. Using it to stop Sakumos kick however, was a completely different story. Niko was lifted off of the ground and with a snap Sakumo sent him sliding back several feet on his back.

Sakumo winced hearing the pop as Niko hit the ground. Maybe he would tone it down, after all Niko was still only an eight year old. "Sorry Niko-kun, I didn't think I hit that hard." Sakumo went to help Niko up but had to leap back as several kunai came from the eight year olds hands. He watched Niko push back onto his hands and leap into a standing position. So maybe the eight year old knew how to take a hit.

Niko ran at Sakumo, engaging Sakumo in taijutsu where he was comfortable. He could almost feel Sakumo getting frustrated with Niko's parries, counters, and evasions. After all, Kushina made him good at getting people angry with fighting. Niko barely used his barrier to parry Sakumo's punch using his own momentum against him, Niko dug his free fist into the bottom set of Sakumos right sides ribs. Turning into Sakumos raised knee, he pushed off shoving his foot into the back of Sakumo's knee dropping him to the ground.

Sakumo was thoroughly impressed with Niko's taijutsu. Spinning on his knee Sakumo tripped Niko, and before he hit the ground Sakumo mule kicked Niko sending him sliding across the ground. Sakumo didn't predict Niko sliding over one of his discarded kunai slicing his forearm open. "Shit, Niko, are you ok?"

Niko winced as his right hand clapped over the gash on his left arm. Bringing his chakra to his palm he began the Shosen jutsu to heal the wound. "Give me a few minutes and I'll be fine Sensei."

"Good take a break, Kinmokusei, you're turn."

Kinmokusei groaned, she really didn't want to fight. She took her place in the middle of the field and bit her lip trying not to look at her sensei.

"Kinmokusei-chan. Kin-chan, look at me."

Kinmokusei peaked up at her sensei and saw him smiling to her. She took a breath and took the basic Academy stance.

"Good, I'm coming at you now, so be ready." Sakumo ran forward, trying to engage her in taijutsu was disappointing. She knew the basic academy form pretty well, but that was the problem. That was the only thing she knew. The Academies style was focused on a balance of defense and attack using subterfuge and distractions to hide the real attack. Kinmokusei just defended and only defended. Sakumo threw a punch to her head but something felt off, she blocked but he felt a sharp sting in his hand. Sakumo leapt back and looked to his hand only to see a small point where something had pricked him. "Kin-chan, what is this?"

Kinmokusei blushed and looked away. "I, well my family, I mean we. We specialize in poisons, so I used my poison needle. It's a mild paralytic, your hand should be fine in a few minutes."

Sakumo nodded, this was potential. If he could cultivate this talent, add some Genjutsu for subterfuge, train her Shurikenjutsu, she would be formidable. "Good job Kinmokusei, you impressed me. Now, let's all gather around, I am going to test you each for affinities." Sakumo dug in his pouch bringing out a few pieces of paper and holding them in his hand as the three kids gathered around.

"What do you mean sensei?"

"Good question Kin-chan. You see, every person with Chakra has an affinity to a certain element. Some families are for aligned to a certain type, such as the Uchiha and their world famous Katon chakra. These papers are from trees grown specifically on a chakra rich diet. Due to this it allows them to take in chakra and to translate it into the elements. Most farmers use Suiton aligned trees to keep soil moist during the hot summer. We ninja buy the trees aligned with Yin-Yang chakra to show us our affinities. Now, each affinity has a weakness and a strength, such as Katon for instance. Katon is strong against Futon, but weak against Suiton. Each element also has a region they are prevelantly found within. Such as in Hi no Kuni, the most common chakra type is Katon, while in Kaminari no Kuni it is Raiton. There are three other types but these papers can not measure them. They are Inton based upon Yin energy, Yoton based upon Yang energy, and In'yoton, based upon the principle of mixing Inton and Yoton abilities. These three are prevalent in our usage as ninja in ways you may not expect. For instance, the Yamanaka use Yin chakra to use their clan techniques, the Akimichi inversely use Yoton chakra to perform their own clan jutsu. Yin is of the mind, and Yang of the body, another good example is Niko-kun's Iryojutsu. They use the principle of Yin chakra to heal the body."

"What about In'yoton Sensei?" Niko was curious. He understood the workings of Yin and Yang, and how they worked in his techniques and fuinjutsu, but what he wanted to now was the principle of using both.

"Well, that is tricky. In'yoton is something no Shinobi has been able to harness due to its nature. Every person has an imbalance, whether in Yin or Yang. For instance, I have an imbalance in Yang that leads to me having an over abundance of Yin. Though I have an abundance of Yin chakra, it does not mean I can use Inton. To be able to use In'yoton, I theorize, one would have to be intune with both their Yin and Yang, be able to have a natural balance of both equally, and the ability to use both Inton and Yoton individually. Similar to some bloodlines where one mixes two chakra types, such as Shodaime-sama's Mokuton. It combines Doton and Suiton leading to Mokuton. So, in theory not only would you have to be a natural user of both types, be in perfect balance, but be able to meld the two into one. So far I am unaware of any person having this ability, but I digress. Let's get to testing, shall we?" Sakumo handed each of the genin a slip of the paper. "Now, just channel your chakra into them and let's see the results."

Makato channeled his chakra and to his surprise his paper crinkled so tightly that it became a ball before burning.

Kinmokusei channeled her own chakra into her sheet and it split down the middle, and each half got damp, barely damp but still.

Niko's sheet tore in half from getting so damp and then turned to mud from turning to dust.

"Well, shit. All three of you have dual affinities. Well, Makato-kun, you are Katon and a very strong Raiton. Kin-chan you have Suiton and Futon. Niko-kun, an extremely strong Suiton and a nearly as strong Doton. I will be able to assist Makato-kun and Niko-kun with their Raiton and Doton. I am afraid I will need to do some research to get aid in teaching Niko-kun and Kin-chan their Suiton and Futon. Makato-kun, I trust your father is teaching you Katon?"

Makato nodded.

"Good, Niko-kun, see if you can get Jiraiya-san to assist you in your Doton training. Anyway, I will obtain two easy techniques for each of you we will be covering over the next month. If you succeed in performing each of the jutsu sufficiently enough I will get each of you a surprise. One technique will be defensive for one element, the other will be offensive or supplementary for the other." Sakumo smiled to each of them, this was going to be worth it in the end. With a defensive technique they could protect one another, and with an offensive they can provide support. He just hopes that each of them will be able to stand the D-rank he saved for them for this evening. "Well, let's take an early lunch, then I have our first mission as a team. Sound good everyone? While the mission is being done I will send a clone to search through the Jutsu library to find you each two techniques."

Kinmokusei gave a timid smile. "A mission, well, it sounds exciting. What is it?"

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"This sucks SO BAD!"

Niko agreed with Makato, to be honest he never expected the Uchiha to be so lazy with some of their equipment. They had been a this for half an hour and Niko alone had collected nearly a hundred senbon, a dozen shuriken, and sixteen kunai. Not even to mention the broken single edge blades, like Katana, Wakizashi, Odachi, etc…, Tessen, and even a Naginata. The most troublesome that their sensei had decided to collect on his own was the Makibishi due to their size and potential to hurt the Genin. Niko sighed as he leaned down again, picking up another Tessen, but this one felt different. The metal of the frame was a dark grey, and the fan was a collapsable silver metal. The swirling pattern of the silver metal was something Niko was familiar with in his memories. It matched a description Joseph's sister told him of how Damascus steel looked. Niko closed the fan and flicking his wrist the fan opened with a sharp ringing sound.

"Find something interesting Niko-kun?" Sakumo had to smile at the scene. His smallest Genin, Tessen in hand, looking marveled at the weapon. Sakumo tightened the bag in his hand, the third one he had filled today with Makibishi spikes. Walking over to Niko he saw the tall metal bins they had filled with weapons sitting in the middle of the training ground, it seems they had worked extra hard.

"It is a Tessen sensei, but something is different about it." Niko closed the Tessen once again and hummed lightly staring at the item.

"Let me see it Niko-kun." Sakumo took the Tessen in his hand and opened the war fan. Niko was right, it was extremely light. The metal seemed to be reinforced, and the fans blades were nicely flexible and felt familiar. Sakumo ran his chakra into the fans blade and saw it glow blue. "This is, Niko-kun this is not just a Tessen, this is one of the Uchiha's relics. The Tessen of Uchiha Izuna, Uchiha Madara's otouto. What is something as valuable as this doing outside of the clans relic chamber?"

Niko looked to the Tessen and nodded softly to the item, his eyes activating. It was strange, he could see his sensei's chakra flowing through the Tessen, he could see the natural chakra of the Tessen in the metal, but there was a silvery chakra residing inside of the Tessen. "Sensei, there is something strange with the Tessen."

"Oh?"

"Mn, there is a silvery chakra in it. Your chakra won't touch it, or rather the silver chakra avoids yours entirely."

Sakumo raises an eyebrow turning the Tessen in his hand. It didn't feel different, but he shouldn't experiment with a relic of the Uchiha clan. "Well, let's hold onto this one and Makato-kun can return it to the Uchiha. Makato-kun, Kin-chan, come and join us please." Sakumo smiled when his clone landed in the clearing with a small satchel in his arms. Sakumo took the satchel from his clone who gave Sakumo a mock salute and vanished in a puff of smoke.

"About time Sensei, Kin-chan and I had trouble finding anything else to get. What if we found something old and expensive, that would have sucked. Chichi would have thrown a fit, I would have been yelled at and I don't know if I want to get yelled at."

Sakumo chuckled and held out the Tessen to Makato. "Well, let's test that theory of yours, eh?" Sakumo had to contain his laughter when he saw Makato's face turn paper white.

"Wh-where?"

"Niko-kun found it when we were searching. The Uchiha should be happy he did not just pocket it, after all, most Genin who take these types of missions claim things they like. After all in the mission parameters every item on the ground or in the foliage happens to be trash." Sakumo places the Tessen in Makato's hand and ruffles his hair.

"Of course Sensei, I'll tell Chichi about it."

"Ood, now, on to the jutsu I promised each of you." Sakumo removed two scrolls and handed them to Makato. Fishing out a thicker blue scroll and a white scroll he gave those to Kinmokusei. The last two a brown scroll and a grey on were given to Niko. "Now, for Makato we have Katon: Hosenka no Jutsu, and Raiton Jibashi. Hosenka is a staple to many Uchiha I have worked with before and is an extraordinarily useful jutsu. Jibashi is one I learned while working with T & I, the jutsu is mainly used for torture, but can be used in battle as well as being used medically. For Kinmokusei-chan I have brought an easy jutsu and a challenging one. Futon: Reppusho, and Suiton: Doku Ame. Reppusho is, in my opinion, one of the most important Futon you will learn. Doku Ame is one that we have stolen from Mizugakure in the past by a defection. Now, for Niko-kun, due to your chakra reserves being less than your teammates but your control being beyond theirs I got you Suiton: Suijinheki and Doton: Retsudo Tensho. Suijinheki is a jutsu that is strictly defensive, and is the one I want you to focus on for now. Now, I want you three to go home, read the scrolls over the night, and tomorrow we will pick up with some physical training, ok?"

With that Niko, akato, and Kinmokusei pocketed their scrolls and began work on getting the bins from the training ground to the disposal center. It had been a long day.

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Jiraiya sighed, he would be gone for three months this time, hopefully he would have something to show for it. He was being sent to Uzushiogakure to find the hidden library, hopefully since he has obtained Niko and Kushinas blood he may be able to open some of the more restricted areas. But to his surprise, the library was empty. "What?"

Uzushiogakure's thousand year library, a wealth of knowledge of Shinobi arts and Civilian arts was gone. Completely and utterly gone. Jiraiya spent hours on hours looking it top to bottom, and only found one thing. The floor was covered in a single Fuin, and he would have to clear the shelves first to know what it did. Well, he might as well get started, he would have to apologize to Niko and Kushina later for being gone for so long.

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 **Jutsu Glossary**

Suiton: Doku Ame: After water has been shot into the air, such as with the Water Release: Water Bullet Technique, this jutsu turns the water black. When the black water falls on a target it clings to their body and covers their eyes, blocking their vision. Because of the name ("doku" meaning "poison"), victims are intended to believe the water is poisonous. In truth the water is harmless, and the name is only meant to distract victims long enough for the user to follow up with another attack and/or escape.

Fūton: Reppūshō: A Wind Release technique where the user either increases their velocity, or by the user clasping their hands together, wind is compressed and transformed into a powerful gale, which has enough force to knock over a person. When used in conjunction with shuriken or kunai, the tools become more lethal as their speed is increased.

Raiton: Jibashi: A basic Lightning Release technique that allows the user to create a wave of electricity from their hands. The user can vary its power from a small surge to shock an opponent to a powerful stream of lightning capable of ripping through solid rock.

Katon: Hōsenka no Jutsu: This technique creates a volley of small fireballs, which are sent flying in an unpredictable manner to assault the enemy. The flames are controlled individually with chakra, so avoiding them all is very difficult. Shuriken can also be concealed within the flames, creating an unexpected secondary surprise attack.

Doton: Retsudo Tenshō: This technique causes the ground surrounding the enemy to spiral inwards on itself, burying them alive or crushing them. This technique is capable of causing quite a bit of damage to the area. This technique is much more damaging if used in rocky mountainous areas, or inside a cave.

Suiton: Suijinheki: A technique that creates a wall of water around the user to defend against attacks. This can either be done either by using a pre-existing source, or if the user is skilled enough, from thin air. While mainly used as a defensive tactic, it can be used in an offensive manner by directly aiming below the opponent to have the water rise up and strike them.


	12. Chapter 10

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 **I DO NOT OWN NARUTO IN ANY SHAPE OR CAPACITY. I ONLY OWN MY FICTITIOUS OC'S.**

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 **Glossary: Scene breaks will be denoted by a line of X's**

"Speech"

' _Thoughts'_

" **Demonic or summons speech"**

' _ **Demonic or summons thoughts'**_

I got a good suggestion from reviewer GaoGod. I will be rending Jutsu in Japanese, and I will post a glossary at the end of the chapter for each Jutsu and their translation to English.

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 **Alright guys, this chapter is the final chapter before the C-ranks start popping up, so this chapter is more of a filler chapter. There are a few foreshadowing elements that I decided to add into this chapter, and one major event. So that means this one might be a filler, but it is an important filler.**

 **Remember to review and make sure to follow to stay up to date with Niko and his life.**

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It had been a month since Kushina left, and he was worried. Her missions was supposed to be a quick C-rank, nothing more and nothing less than three days. He wasn't the only one worried, Tachibana's husband had come over to see if Kushina had come home several times. Niko hadn't slept in three days, and he had barely gotten any rest over the last month. He could feel it in his bones, something was wrong, and he was getting antsy. Kushina never came home later than a week past her missions due date, and Niko had seen the ANBU stationed outside his home. Something was deeply wrong. Niko couldn't let his mind fall further into the pit when three knocks on his door brought him out from his thoughts. Getting up from his table he walked to the door and opened it.

"Hey Niko-kun, you ready?" Sakumo patted Niko's head and smiled.

"Yeah, I have all of my supplies if we should happen to take a mission Sensei."

"Good, Kin-chan and Makato-kun are waiting for us at the training ground already." Sakumo held his hand out and closed it around Niko's own. With a swirl of leaves the two appeared in the training ground next to Kinmokusei and Makato.

"Good morning Sensei! Morning Niko!" Makato smiled widely and ran over to Niko. "You ready? It took a while but I managed to get them down. Did you learn yours? Oh what am I saying of course you did, you're amazing! Can you turn over dirt? That'd be cool, and useful in a mission. Oh wait! Didn't Kagami-Oji tell you? You and Kushina-nee are invited to dinner when she comes back. Do you know when she is coming back, I miss Kushina-nee, she is sooo awesome!~"

"Makato-kun, enough. Kushina-san hasn't been home in a month." Sakumo sighed, he hated to scold Makato for being himself, but the village was in a state of alert. Kushina, their jinchuuriki had vanished, and her team hadn't reported in since they had left. Jiraiya was still absent, Orochimaru was awol, No one had seen Danzo, and Tsunade hadn't been seen in eight years. If there was t be an attack, now would be the opportune time.

"Sorry Niko, sorry Sensei."

Sakumo nodded and clapped his hands twice. "Now, show me what you three have learned! I am excited to see what you have done in this month. Makato-kun, since you are so energetic, you should go first."

Makato nodded and stepped out from the group. Looking towards the tree line he closed his eyes and focused. Flashing through hand seals Makato leaned back with an inhale and on his exhale several small fireballs came from his lips flying toward the tree line. "Katon: Hosenka no Jutsu!" Immediately following up Makato flashed through more hand seals and clapped a hand to the ground. Lightning surging from his hand and surging up a tree bursting the limbs of the tree in a shower of debris from the energy. "Raiton: Jibashi!"

Sakumo smiled widely, five fireballs and lightning strong enough to destroy a few limbs of a tree. He was pleased with Makato's progress. "Very good Makato-kun, impressive for the time you were given. Kin-chan, your turn."

Kin shuffled forward and closed her eyes calming her nerves. Running through her hand signs, though slower than Makato, she closed her eyes shut as a powerful gust launched away from her strong enough to form a gust that whipped her teammates hair around. "'Futon: Reppusho." Not giving a second between the finish of her technique and the next she flew through more hand signs and concentrated. With no water already in the air she would have to use an obscene amount of chakra to form it from the moisture in the air. The pulled water turned an inky black and began to rain over an area of fifteen meters on the other side of the training ground. "Suiton: Doku Ame!" Kinmokusei opened her eyes and smiled with glee, it was twice the size of the one she had done at home! She blinked as she felt dizzy and started to fall, but Sakumos arms caught her.

"Extremely impressive Kin-chan, bigger than any I've seen in the village to date." Sakumo sat her own gently and Makato sat behind her letting her back rest against his back. They both turned their head to watch Niko as he stepped forward.

Niko focused and went through his hand signs as a wall of water surrounded him on all sides. "Suiton: Suijinheki!" This was the one Niko picked up on within a week, he liked to think he was good with it. Pushing through more hand signs he clapped his hands on the ground and pushed his chakra through the earth. The ground rumbled, broke apart in a few places but it did not do enough to his liking. "Doton: Retsudo Tensho." Niko cursed under his breath, not enough, not anywhere good enough.

"Good try Niko-kun, I know what your problem is." Sakumo stepped next to Niko and smiled. "You are under shooting the technique with your chakra. By not giving enough chakra you are making the technique significantly weaker. Try pushing a little more than twice the amount you put into the first one.

Niko nodded and ran through the hand seals again, pushing more chakra into the technique he slammed his hands on the ground. "Doton: Retsudo Tensho!" The earth roared, opening up and folding in on itself, a good quarter of the training field was disturbed and turned by the end of th technique.

"Good, very good Niko-kun!" Sakumo placed a hand on his head. "You got it, so, what do you all say about getting those gifts, yeah?"

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The market district was busy this time of day, just after lunch and everyone was returning to their jobs, or for some going to or from work. Despite what people believed Konohagakure was smaller than most villages. The resting population was barely over two hundred thousand, and out of that barely four thousand are Shinobi. Out of those four thousand a standing three thousand five hundred were from the Genin Reserves. The Reserves were those Genin who never passed the Chunin exams or had been left without a team. They were the basic grunt work of the village, taking D-ranks or a team taking C-ranks. Their only hope is to gain a field promotion and outside of war time, those chances were low. Out of the fifteen hundred remaining twelve hundred and fifty of those were Chunin and Tokubetsu Jonin. Tokubetsu are those Chunin greater than normal Chunin in a few fields of combat, but others are the same as a normal Chunin. These are the main fighting force should an invasion set upon the village. The remaining two hundred and fifty were split into three groups, a hundred Jonin, a hundred ANBU and Hunter-nin, and the remaining fifty are the elite of the elite. These fifty are the most powerful ninja to exist in the village, and are either kept in the village or are used to run S-rank or higher missions only. These are the Elite Jonin, they have no equals below them, and only two above them. These two ninja are the Hokage, and the Jonin Taicho. The fifty Elites are all either borderline or over the edge of S-rank and are the sword of the Hokage. None of them, till now, have been Sensei, only the standard Jonin are used as teachers. Sakumo was the best of the Elite, able to stand toe to toe with Orochimaru and Jiraiya at the same time, he had no equal below the Jonin Taicho and the Hokage. Yet here, he was with a team, in a weapons store, and two of his Genin are running around the store like crazy.

"Sensei this is so cool!"

"Sensei, um what do you think about these?"

Sakumo was at a loss, being dragged two different directions, and Hitsuchi behind the counter trying not to die from laughing. He heard a squeak and turned to see Kinmokusei holding up a pair of Neko-te, and he could see the stars in her eyes. He calmly walked over to her and kneeled down next to her looking at the Neko-te. "Did you find something you like Kin-chan?"

Kinmokusei nodded her head and slipped them on her hands. Obviously a bit large, but they felt so nice, she tested moving her fingers and she felt an attachment nearly immediately. The Neko-te were mounted on navy blue cloth gloves. The metal was a muted grey and instead of the ornate claws most had, these claws were more like tiger claws. Slightly curved and with a little length to them. She looked up to her Sensei and smiled, a bright and happy smile. His hand atop her head made her nearly radiate the happiness she felt, this was right.

"I'll see if Hitsuchi-san has a smaller set." Sakumo nodded as his eyes drew across the room and he had to take a moment. Was Makato holding a Kusarigama?

"Sensei! Look what I found!" Makato ran over to his sensei and was beaming brightly. The Kama part of the Kusarigama was a muted steel. The blade was barely curved, and bladed only on the inside edge. The handle was wrapped iron, with leather for the wrap. The chain was chakra reinforced steel, and was several feet in length. The weight on the opposite end of the chain was a simple steel ball. However the Kusarigama wasn't something he brought alone.

"So what is that?"

"Oh, I got a Tanto as well, I want to learn from you." The Tanto was simple and non-descript. A silver looking reflective blade, a oak hilt wrapped with red cord. The sheath was a red painted oak.

Sakumo nodded and sighed, well he didn't give them a limit of what they could get. He chuckled as he scanned over the shop and noticed something strange, Niko was in the Kunoichi section. See most weapon shops divided weapons according to not only sex, but age, and rank. He knew women who could use a great hammer with proficiency, and men who could use a chain whip better than any weapons mistress. It was just a stigma that had yet to cease to be. He walked over to Niko and noticed what he was looking at. "Tessen eh? I had a feeling you would be interested in the Tessen after I saw how you looked at that Uchiha Tessen. Are you sure though? Tessen wouldn't go well with your element, and you already have your gauntlets and your Fuin shield for your Taijutsu."

"I am sure Sensei."

"Nothing else?"

"A Bo perhaps."

"How about we get you both, a good pair of Tessen, and a Bo for you." Sakumo ruffled Niko's hair. He doubted that Niko would stay long with the Tessen but he would let Niko have his time to shine. Taking a good look around, Sakumo took inventory of his squad. Makato swinging his Kusarigamas Kama around, Kinmokusei playing with her Neko-te, and Niko looking at the Tessen. "Well it seems like they have what they want. Now to see them grow with them. Hey kids! Let's get to the store front, I have to drop by a friends house after this. Be prepared for tomorrow, we have our first C-rank scheduled so make sure to be at the gate by six o'clock."

Niko ran over to Sakumo, standing next to Kinmokusei. Looking at his teammates he had to give them a smile, they seemed happy. Niko fingered the metal frame of one of the Tessen, dull grey steel, the blades made of something similar but flexible. Niko smiled looking down at them in his hands, they felt right, they felt like they were his. Feeling a hand on his head he looked up and saw Sakumo smiling once again, he always seemed to be smiling about something.

"Let's go, I've got to get you home and then go see Might Dai about these weapons."

"Mm."

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Unlocking the door to Jiraiya's apartment Niko stepped in and froze. There was another set of shoes next to his spare set. He knew them well, the dark grey-purple sandals only belonged to one person. Niko dashed through the apartment, throwing his and Kushina's shared rooms door wide open and there she is. "OBA-CHAN!" Niko threw himself forward impacting her back and flinging them both onto her bed. He wrapped his arms tightly around her but her hands reaching his and prying them off her made him stop. He stood up as she got up from the bed and turned to see him. Across her throat was a fresh scar, where someone had slit her throat.

"Niko-kun." Kushina's eyes watered, her hands raising to either side of Niko's face. She brushed his cheekbones with her thumbs, her eyes gazing, taking in every single feature of his face. Her eyes were starting to water, her eyelids quivering, she needed to know this was real, HE was real. She pressed her forehead against his and began to cry, biting her lip she wrapped her arms so tightly around Niko she figured she would break him. "Please, please for the love of Susanoo, be real." She felt his small arms wrap around her torso and she buried her face into Niko's neck.

Niko was frozen, the only thing he could do was stand there, holding her while she cried. Niko tried to think, why would she be acting this way? Obviously something went wrong on her mission, that glaring red scar on her neck said that easily. Niko froze, instantly in place, Kushina's fingers were pressing into the side of his neck. Her voice is what hurt him the most.

"You're real, you're alive, 'ttebane."

Kushina's voice sounded so broken, so defeated. She should never sound like this, and whatever caused her to be this way, Niko would end it. He reached his hands up and took hers in his own and stepped back smiling softly. "I am here, and I am alive, and nothing will change that." Niko pulled her to her bed and sat her down, sh looked like she had gone through hell. "I am going to go get some water, a rag, and we're gonna get cleaned up, ok?" Niko took another step back and saw her tense but he kept moving back, seeing her eyes becoming wild and fearful Niko smiled to her. Niko turned and left the door open, moving to the kitchen. Fishing out one of the larger pots he placed it in the sink and began to fill it with water. Opening a drawer and pulling out two of the thicker dishcloths he shut the water off when there was at least half of the bowl full. Placing one rag over his shoulder, the other in the bowl soaking in the water Niko hurried back to the room. Kushina was sat on the edge of the bed, her eyes bloodshot and focused entirely on Niko. Setting the pot at her feet Niko reached into the pot, wringing the rag out he began to clean her face. The dirt was nearly caked with blood, but he tried his best to be gentle about it.

"You're real, you're alive."

"Yeah, I am Kushina-oba, I am right here." Niko smiled to her, wiping her forehead clean he began to clean her cheeks, her nose, her lips, and chin. "There she is, I thought you were a mudman for a moment there." He went about cleaning her arms, and her legs, and her neck. The water had long since turned a murky brown, Niko took the rag from his shoulder and began to wipe away the water left on her. Taking her hands in his own he helped her to her feet, her legs seemed wobbly so he stood next to her. Guiding her to the living room Niko began to hum, the same tune that Tatsuki sang to him as a baby, and the same one Kushina sang to him to calm his nightmares. He might be nine, she might be twelve, but right no he felt like an adult with a fragile, broken child. Sitting her down on the sofa Niko sat next to her curling up next to her and leaning in. She wrapped her arms around his shoulders and began to cry.

"I, I, they. They found us, a day after we left. They wanted Jiraiya-san, and they, they knew he adopted us. They killed the whole team, and, and they kidnapped me. They tortured me for weeks with Genjutsu, and then they left me alone, in the pitch black. Nothing but water dripping from the ceiling, and it was so bad Nik-kun, I, I was so scared. I yelled for Chichi-ue, Haha-ue, I cried for Aneki, and for Jiraiya-san, and for you. No one heard me, and I was so hungry and I hurt so badly. They took me from the room and brought me outside, then there was fighting and shouting and I saw Orochimaru-san. The man said something and Orochimaru-san shouted and then there was pain, and I couldn't breath, I felt something burn and hit me in the chest, then there were snakes and red and I. Niko-kun, I think I died, I saw Chichi-ue, Haha-ue, Aneki, they were there waiting for me. They asked me so many questions, about you, about us, and about the village. They were so sad to see me, and then there was the Kyuubi, he was shouting and cursing. Then I started to glow and they were vanishing, they told me it wasn't my time yet and then the pain hit me all over again. I was standing in darkness and then opened my eyes, above me was Orochimaru-san and a grey haired man, they both were using Iryojutsu on me and they. Niko-kun, they saved me, I shouldn't be here." Kushina was just so drained, so terrified of waking up and this being another Genjutsu. "Niko-kun, just, please, tell me you're real."

"I got my team, my Jonin Sensei is Sakumo Hatake. My teammates are Fugaku-sans otouto Makato, and a Yamanaka named Kinmokusei. Makato is talkative, he never shuts up unless Sensei is being serious. Kin-chan is shy, very shy, she reminds me of when I first came to Konohagakure. Our sensei asked us a question as our test, what it meant to be a shinobi. Makato wanted to be cool and do flashy jutsu, Kin-chan wanted it to be a remembrance that shinobi are people. I told them that to be shinobi is to endure, to push through what breaks us, and to rise up from it. Sensei began to teach us, and Kagami-san let Sakumo take over my training completely. We began to learn our natures, did you know I was a very strong Suiton and Doton nature? It's cool, like I have your and Jiraiya-otou's natures mixed together. Sensei had us train on our elements, but I didn't have anyone who could help me with my Doton, but Mina-sensei helped me with my Suiton. Did you know Mina-sensei was from a small clan who specialized in Suiton techniques? Well, Sensei gave us all Ninjutsu to learn, and it took me till earlier today but I learned the Doton: Retsudo Tensho and the Suiton: Suijinheki. Because we all learned our jutsu Sensei bought us weapons to learn, and I really liked the Tessen. I got them but Sensei also bought me a Bo because he doesn't believe I can incorporate the Tessen into my fighting style. But I remembered Mito-obaa had Tessen she used, so I figured if she could do it, I can do it too. Makato got a Kusarigama and a Tanto, cause he wants to be special, the brat. Then Kin-chan got a pair of Neko-te, it will go good with her poisons she uses and I think Sensei is getting a friend to introduce a new Taijutsu style to her to go with them. Oh, we also got a few D-rank missions, nothing too exciting. The Uchiha's needed help clearing their training grounds and we also helped out around ton with gardening and construction work. It turns out that a lot of D-ranks are really boring." Niko was about to say something else when the door to their apartment flew open. Niko leapt to his feet and tensed for combat, but he relaxed when he saw it was Minato.

"Mina-kun."

"Kushina-chan." Minato's eyes watered, as the tears began to run down his cheeks he ran forward scooping Kushina in a hug. He was so terrified, he overheard Orochimaru talking with his three sensei about the return of Kushina and he just left. She was back, really, truly, back. "I was so scared Kushina-chan. Who did this?"

Kushina tightened her arms around his neck and cried into his shoulder. Bawling like a child shamelessly she knew it was all real now. No one knew about the two of them, her and Minato's relationship had been kept quiet. She never liked it but understood why, after all if they knew who the jinchuuriki was, what was to stop them from attacking Minato, killing him, and sending her into a bijuu filled rage? "Ame, Amegakure did this."

Minato knew in his heart, Amegakure just made another enemy, and Mintao's kindness just got a little darker.

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 **Jutsu Glossary**

Suiton: Doku Ame: After water has been shot into the air, such as with the Water Release: Water Bullet Technique, this jutsu turns the water black. When the black water falls on a target it clings to their body and covers their eyes, blocking their vision. Because of the name ("doku" meaning "poison"), victims are intended to believe the water is poisonous. In truth the water is harmless, and the name is only meant to distract victims long enough for the user to follow up with another attack and/or escape.

Fūton: Reppūshō: A Wind Release technique where the user either increases their velocity, or by the user clasping their hands together, wind is compressed and transformed into a powerful gale, which has enough force to knock over a person. When used in conjunction with shuriken or kunai, the tools become more lethal as their speed is increased.

Raiton: Jibashi: A basic Lightning Release technique that allows the user to create a wave of electricity from their hands. The user can vary its power from a small surge to shock an opponent to a powerful stream of lightning capable of ripping through solid rock.

Katon: Hōsenka no Jutsu: This technique creates a volley of small fireballs, which are sent flying in an unpredictable manner to assault the enemy. The flames are controlled individually with chakra, so avoiding them all is very difficult. Shuriken can also be concealed within the flames, creating an unexpected secondary surprise attack.

Doton: Retsudo Tenshō: This technique causes the ground surrounding the enemy to spiral inwards on itself, burying them alive or crushing them. This technique is capable of causing quite a bit of damage to the area. This technique is much more damaging if used in rocky mountainous areas, or inside a cave.

Suiton: Suijinheki: A technique that creates a wall of water around the user to defend against attacks. This can either be done either by using a pre-existing source, or if the user is skilled enough, from thin air. While mainly used as a defensive tactic, it can be used in an offensive manner by directly aiming below the opponent to have the water rise up and strike them.


	13. Omake: Mito's Truth

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 **I DO NOT OWN NARUTO IN ANY SHAPE OR CAPACITY. I ONLY OWN MY FICTITIOUS OC'S.**

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 **Glossary: Scene breaks will be denoted by a line of X's**

"Speech"

' _Thoughts'_

" **Demonic or summons speech"**

' _ **Demonic or summons thoughts'**_

I got a good suggestion from reviewer GaoGod. I will be rending Jutsu in Japanese, and I will post a glossary at the end of the chapter for each Jutsu and their translation to English.

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 **Remember to review and make sure to follow to stay up to date with Niko and his life.**

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Mito smiled to the young boy, this was the second day of his time here. She couldn't believe just how much he looked like her granddaughter. Kneeling down she placed her hand atop his head and gently rubbed the crown of his head. "Good morning Niko-chan, did you sleep well?" She watched him shake his head and cling to her hand. Guiding him down towards the kitchen she sat him atop of of the taller seats. "How does something warm sound to you? Maybe, green tea mochi balls?"

"Mhm."

Mito smiles sweetly and kisses the top of Nikos head. "To tell you a secret," she leans down to his ear and whispers. "They're my favorite too." Mito stood up straight and got to making the mochi balls. She was wrist deep in batter when she heard Kushina's feet coming down the hallway. "Good morning Kushina-chan." Turning she smiled to Kushina, seeing the short red headed girls hair looking like she stuck her finger into a light socket.

"Morning Obaa-chan."

Mito began to clean her hands of the batter once everything was in the oven to cook. She sat down with the two and let the two of them eat the batter from the bowl, she took the spoon herself.

"Obaa-chan?"

"What's wrong Kushina-chan?"

"I'm sorry."

Mito froze and blinked, what did she mean I'm sorry? Nothing was wrong was it? "Whatever do you mean Kushina-chan?"

"They're gone, all of them. Chichi-ue, Haha-ue, Aneki, all of them. They're gone forever."

Mito pushed down her sadness, she could mourne later, right now these two were the most important thing to her.

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It had been three months since Niko came to live with them, and Mito had to admit, she was depressed. Her home, her family, everyone but Niko, Kushina, and Tsunade were dead. They were all she had left, and she needed them all, her chickens back to the roost. So she wrote Tsunade.

' _Dear Tsu-hime,_

 _It's me, Mito-obaa. Tsu-hime, they're all gone. The Uzumaki clan is no more, and now we are all that is left. Niko-kun, he survived due to being kidnapped, but Jiraiya-kun saved him. Jiraiya-kun is such a nice boy, but, Tsu-hime, Niko-kun. Niko-kun won't speak to anyone, he barely eats. Tsu-hime, I know Dan-san's death hurt but, Tsu-hime I need you, I need my sweet grandchild here with me. My heart is broken, and, I am afraid. I am so afraid that these two will be alone in life, that you will be alone and I don't want that to happen. So please Tsu-hime, even if it will not be as a ninja, please come home. I need my brandchild, my little heart, and Niko-kun needs his Kaa-chan. Please Tsu-hime, please write back, it has been so long and I need to hear from you._

 _With all the love in my heart and soul your dearest Obaa-san,_

 _Uzumaki-Senju Mito'_

It didn't take long, only to weeks, and Tsunade had responded.

' _Dear Obaa-sama,_

 _I can't come back, it would destroy me. I heard what happened and I feel your pain but, I will not come back. Especially if that child is there, I will have none of it. Do with him what you will, I don't care. As for you, I love you Obaa-sama, but I will never, EVER, return to Konohagakure. This is goodbye Obaa-sama,_

 _ **Sayonara.**_

 _Senju Tsunade'_

For the first time since Uzu had fallen, Mito wept.

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Mito's hands were in her hands. This was supposed to be simple, take in Niko, train him to be the Uzumaki heir. He picked Fuinjutsu up like it was breathing, she was so proud, but he acted so pitiful. Always so shy, so reserved, nothing like what a good leader should be. So Mito slapped him. She could see the fear and pain in his eyes but there it was, a spark of defiance, of strength he had deep inside of him. If she would have to be the iron fist to make him what he needed to be, then so be it.

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For the third time since Niko had come to stay with her she wept. This was supposed to be a simple procedure, a simple unblocking then it would be done. Why couldn't it have been easy? Why did he have to get hurt? Why did it hurt her so much to see him like this? Why?

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"...By Izanagi I swear it, you will pay."

Mito wept for a fourth time. She stood from her bed, she had to make this right. She was wrong, oh so wrong all this time. She had been cold to Niko, the boy she loved with all her heart and soul, and he was so angry as to curse her. She grabbed her door knob and turned it pulling the door open and her eyes widened. "How are you?!" She choked on her words, her blood coated the door and she was flung back into her bed.

" _ **dO NOt wOrrY wE wiLl NOT hURt the cHILdrEN. OnlY YoU.**_ "

With a pain in her eyes, she knew darkness, then nothing more.

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Jiraiya always hated being the bearer of bad news, but unfortunately he was the only one who could find her. He knocked on her hotel room door and a small black haired girl answered the door.

"Yes?"

"You must be Shizune-chan, is Tsunade-hime in?"

"Mn, one second."

Jiraiya watched her close the door and he sighed steeling her nerves.

"Jiraiya?"

He gave Tsunade a sad smile and was about to say something.

"Save it, tell Obaa-sama I am not returning."

"Tsunade-hime, you."

"No Jiraiya, no means no. Just leave me alone."

Jiraiya stopped her from closing the door. "Tsunade-hime, please, just listen to me for one second."

"No Jiraiya I am never coming back, ever, just stop!"

"SHE IS DEAD TSUNADE! Mito-sama is dead." Jiraiya watched the pain ignite in her eyes, he could feel her soul crying out in agony.

"How…"

"We do not know, Tsunade-hime, please. You do not have to stay, even Sensei said no one would try, just. For her funeral, please, for her."

"Ok. For her."

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	14. Chapter 11

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 **I DO NOT OWN NARUTO IN ANY SHAPE OR CAPACITY. I ONLY OWN MY FICTITIOUS OC'S.**

 **XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

 **Glossary: Scene breaks will be denoted by a line of X's**

"Speech"

' _Thoughts'_

" **Demonic or summons speech"**

' _ **Demonic or summons thoughts'**_

I got a good suggestion from reviewer GaoGod. I will be rending Jutsu in Japanese, and I will post a glossary at the end of the chapter for each Jutsu and their translation to English.

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 **I apologize for the lateness of this chapter, I nearly forgot I had two Honor Choir performances over the last few weeks. So once again, I apologize.**

 **Time for the first C-rank! Im planning on each C-rank taking multiple chapters, or at least two, but I am not sure.**

 **Also to let you know I will be making a short Omake every once in a blue moon covering past events I realize I left open ended, such as Mito. Hopefully you all enjoyed that chapter and have even more questions that will be answered later on.**

 **Remember to review and make sure to follow to stay up to date with Niko and his life.**

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He looked in to the vanity mirror of his targets room. His burning amber eyes, and vibrant blue hair staring back at him. He turned around his long cloak flaring out from the sudden motion, of course this one would be stupid, like all of the rest. He stiffened his hand and buried his fingers into his targets lower back on the right side not far from the kidney. "Why must you all do the same thing? I am only asking a simple question. Where is the legacy of the Uzumaki clan? I know you have harbored the treasure, so just tell me where it is and you will be able to live."

Uzumaki-Hajime Mitokara bit her lip, she would never say a word, it would be a betrayal to her former home.

He sighed as he unsheathed his sword, this one was just like the rest, even if she wasnt. Her vibrant red hair and alabaster skin betrayed her origins, and yet nothing could break her will. He has tried almost everything, the only few devices left he would never take part in due to his code of honor. He stood before her and kneeled, placing the hilt of his Wakizashi on the ground with the blade pointing upwards. "All I want is to retrieve what I was paid for. I am truly sorry Uzumaki-san, but you know what your sin is, don't you?"

Mitokara tried to scream as her body fell forward but she couldn't do anything. She felt the burning and th hot roaring pain as she blade pierced her through her gut. She started to cry as she felt the life starting to leave from her body.

"Your sin is like your clans." He bent over and leaned close to her ear. "Your sin is Pride. Do not fear Uzumaki-san, this is a good death. You are redeemed through this death, so you can pass in peace." He saw the light leave her eyes, wrapping an arm around her shoulders he gently laid her on her side, pulling his blade from her stomach. He cleaned his Wakizashi on her shirt and sheathed it. Fishing into the pocket of his black long pants he pulled out a single pink stone, a pink quarts. Smooth as silk, and round as a pearl, these were his favorite type of stones. He opened her mouth and placed the stone inside of her maw, closing it he rubbed her throat forcing her body to take the stone down into her neck. Standing his work was done for the night, removing his cloak, Wakizashi, and his Katana he sealed them away into the tattoo on his bicep. With a pop he vanished, in a burst of speed he left, and another target has been redeemed.

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"Alright team, our mission is taking us to a small rural village named Takume in the southern province. We have been hired by the lawman of the town, one Fuga-taicho. There has been an outbreak of suicides that are unexplainable, the victims have never shown any symptoms of depression and have done nothing dishonorable. Our job is to start an investigation into these deaths, and to determine once and for all if these men have died by harakiri, or have been staged to seem that way. On this mission we will be traveling in teams of two. Kin-chan I want you to travel with Niko-kun, and Makato-kun will be traveling with me. The objective of this mission is to gather information and to make appropriate judgment calls based on that information. Now this is out of the teams specifications, since we are a support group, but Sandaime-sama wants us to get experience in a variety of fields just in case. Since you three aren't used to tree running yet, we will practice on our way. It will take a little over eight hours of a constant run at Chunin speed, so it might take us a day. So what we will do for practice is tree run for an hour, and walk for three, we will do that off and on until the sun goes down in which we will camp. Alright, any questions?" As expected Makato raised his hand.

"Do we have any leads? What if it is a cool ninja? What if there is a big battle, and you have to fight him, but he summons something like a bijuu! What if he has a bijuu? Can you fight a bijuu?"

"Makato-kun, if anything is out of the range of a C-rank, the mission will be ended and we will retreat back to Konohagakure. If for some reason there is someone of Jonin rank I should be able to defeat them, but I want you three to retreat as fast as you can to a safe location. No heroics, no noble actions, look after one another and if there is any problems flare your chakra twice as quick as you can and I will get to your location as fast as I can. Any other questions? No? Then let's move out."

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The village was fairly small, and most of the homes were constructed from wood. A few smaller inns were made of stone and wood, and the architecture seemed ancient. This village was old, that much Niko could tell. Running his hands along the guard rail of the short bridge he closed his eyes letting his sense of touch be the foremost in his mind. The designs seem random, but they were in fact anything but. Some were words sewn together as if from seamstress, others images so deeply detailed their descriptions would have been the same as Achilles' shield from the Iliad. Layers upon layers of imagery and symbols, of stories lost to time and memory. The main story line that seemed to resonate along the length of the bridge was a simple but sad one. A priestess, a demon, and a human, one who loved another, who loved another. The priestess loved the human, and the demon loved the priestess. Angered by her affections for the human the demon plotted to murder the human, but it was all for naught. For one night the priestess visited the humans bedchamber, laid with him, and was murdered for adultery. The demon in his grief took human form and laid waste to the village, reaping every living thing from this life to the next. The towns people cried for their goddess Amaterasu to save them, but she had turned her back from the village. The demon had slayed every living creature in the whole village and sat in the center upon a throne of bones and sinew. Holding his love in his arms, mourning over her body the demons tears were heard by one of the ancients, a kami named Izanagi. Izanagi saw his own strife with his own dead wife in the demon's form and took pity upon the creature. He, in all his power, turned the demon to human form through purification and ritual magics. The demon, now human, was given a name by Izanagi and was only asked to do one thing. Izanagi asked only for Hattori Hanzo to avenge the death of his beloved by murdering Kagutsuchi. Hattori Hanzo agreed and was gifted eternal life by the god, and upon his completion he will join his love in death for all eternity. After a thousand years the rise of Chakra overshadowed even Hattori Hanzo's own abilities. Hanzo called to his benefactor, the kami who blessed him yet cursed him and asked him why he had not been given the same strength? How could he match the magic of these people? Those who could breathe fire, wield the heavens own strength against him? Izanagi told him he did not need it, for while these people might be warriors of the elements, Hattori Hanzo had been given a gift even stronger. With Izanagi's breath he gifted the warrior the power of shadows. To be the perfect assassin, no power to be traced, no fingerprints to be found. To never know true peace, true love, till he is dead. To endure. Hattori Hanzo was labeled by the divine being by a single name "Shinobi, the one who endures."

"What did you say Niko-kun?"

Niko opened his eyes and let his hand fall from the side of the railing. He stood up straight and shook his head. "Nothing Sensei, just thinking about your test when we were first put together."

"Do you have a question about it?"

"No Sensei, if anything, I think I understand a bit more now."

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They had just checked into their rooms, Kinmokusei and Sakumo in one room, Niko and Makato in another. After making sure the rooms were safe Sakumo gathered the kids into his room and began.

"Alright, so all we know at this moment is that a few townsfolk have been found dead. The distinctive sword wounds across their abdomen are concurrent with harakiri. However, none of the villagers have done anything noticeable that would be deemed worthy of harakiri. So, we were called in to investigate, no noticeable avenues of information gathering as all the people who were murdered are single, or their family figures were dead or gone. So we stand at this, no witnesses, no survivors, and no leads. What do we do?"

Kinmokusei raised her hand. "Maybe we could start by, uh, maybe we could look at one of the murder scenes?"

"Very good Kin-chan, yes you and Niko-kun will be going to the latest murder scene and investigate. Use your womans intuition it will be stronger than anything we can do. Niko-kun, Kin-chan is taking lead on this one, but keep your eyes open and your head on a swivel. Makato-kun and I will be going to the Lawman's office to see if they have found anything new of promise." Sakumo stood stretching his arms above his head and gave a bright smile to his students. "Now, let's get started, Makato-kun let's go."

Niko watched his sensei and fellow student leave the room. He held out his hand helping Kinmokusei to her feet. She was surprisingly light, she might have been taller than him due to her age but she was lighter than him. The two set off from the hotel, and for the first time since the bridge. The town was small, but it was homely, the streets lined with trees of different varieties. The center of the city was built around a shrine, it wasn't large but it wasn't quite small. The roof was a red wood, and the main body a darker colored wood. Surrounded by a dug out moat filled with crystal blue water and reeds. It seemed as if it belonged to a different world than the village surrounding it. Niko looked from the temple as Kinmokusei and he walked past it to the road ahead. The road was lined with small wooden homes with thatch roofing. This area was different from the others, while the rest of the village smelled of dirt and old water, this area smelled of wood and smoke. The red cross on the door ahead of them and the guardsman outside it alerted the two that they had arrived at their destination. The guardsman was dressed almost like a normal civilian except that he carried a Katana and had a band around his head that said "Law."

"Halt, identify yourself."

"We are Uzumaki and Yamanaka of the Hatake squad sent to investigate the outburst of death. We are here to take a look around." Niko removed his headband and held it out for the guardsman to inspect.

"You're a kid, what, six years old?"

"That hardly matters, I am a registered Shinobi of Konohagakure no Sato. Please, let us through." The man moved aside as Niko tied his headband to his body. Stepping past the guard the two entered into the home. It was small, didn't have that many decor or furniture. The only three things that stood out to Niko were the large bloodstain, the bareness of the home, and the Kamidana on the wall. Niko pointed to the small shrine. It was simple, made of wood with a small vial of water in front of the shrine. "They have a Kamidana, that isn't even used in the oldest of homes in Konoha."

"True, though some clans have them. For instance the Inuzuka have a shrine to Ho-Ori-no-Mikoto, the Uchiha have the Naka shrine devoted to their patron goddess Amaterasu. Could it be possible the woman was a member of a clan?"

"We would have to see her body."

"Oh, um." Kinmokusei looked away and fiddled with the carpet with her toes. "I don't um, well I've never."

Niko raised an eyebrow looking her way. "You've never seen a dead body before have you."

"Um, no."

Niko nodded and patted the top of her head with a smile. "Good, you should hold of on it for as long as possible. You should always stay innocent."

Kinmokusei blinked rapidly, what did he mean? They were shinobi so eventually they would kill so why did he not want her to kill anyone? "What do you mean?"

Niko shook his head, if he had his way she would be at home safe. Slowly but surely since the formation of their team Kinmokusei had become like a big sister to him. Yet at the same time like a little sister. She was naively innocent, she had this air about her that screamed that she believed in true good and true evil and that as a Kunoichi she would be the good guy. Niko only wished it was so, especially if what Josephs memories told him were true. Kinmokusei deserves a long good life with a doting husband, a bunch of loving children, and peace. She was too good for this world, no one and no thing in this world deserves her. "Nothing Kin-chan, just musing. So do you see anything out of the ordinary?"

Kinmokusei gave a glance over the apartment, everything looked clean, the kamidana was well taken care of, even the water seemed fresh only a few days old. The bare wood floor was swept and clean only their tracks and those of the investigators would have been here. Wait, that is it. "Niko-kun, what type of footwear do the Lawmen have?"

"Traditional Geta, why?"

"There are tracks from Tabi here, and if all of the Lawmen wear Geta, then why would there be Tabi tracks?"

Niko kneeled down next to the dusty footprints on the floor and sure enough there were a single set of Tabi prints. Very few prints but there were some. "Where did the victim keep her shoes?"

Kinmokusei looked around and eventually went to the entrance of the house. If these houses truly were traditional then that would mean that the shoes would be kept close to the door. Squatting down next to the door Kinmokusei picked up one of the small sandals and nodded. "Geta, just like the Lawmen, so that means the Tabi do not belong to the Lawmen or the victim. Did Sensei say anything about if the victims husband was home?"

"No, the husband is in the capital currently on a visit to family."

"Are we sure about that, um, not that I doubt you or sensei. But…"

"But what Kin-chan?"

"Well, if the husband had sneaked home and had murdered his wife? Just stay with me on this one. So my cousin Inoichi-kun, his Tou-san works with torture and interigation. Well I remember there was a case that they worked on with the Police Force a few years back. I overheard Hokuba-san going over some of the details as they were about to make an arrest. Well the jealous wife found out that her husband had been sleeping with another woman. So she wanted to murder her husband but didn't want the blame to fall on her. So she staged multiple murders and had not been caught. It was when she murdered her husband that she got caught due to leaving a small trace. Her husband had fought back and had scratched her wrist, he still had the blood and skin under his nail and when the Inuzuka clan got called in they were led to her. So, what if her husband murdered all of those people in setups not to just kill, but to make it a cover for the real target hi wife?"

"It's plausible but I think that's a far stretch. I think we should keep it in mind and bring it up to sensei but for now let's just look around for more information." Niko smiled to Kinmokusei and patted the top of her head which caused her to pout. The two went back to searching, it took them nearly the whole day examining every little aspect of the house, but two things gave Niko pause. One nearly threw him into a panic attack.

"Kin-chan."

Kinmokusei stood up and brushed off her knees. She wandered over to Niko who had the vial of water from the Kamidana in his hand the cork open. "What's wrong Niko-kun? You look pale."

"Smell this, tell me what it smells like." Niko held the vial out to her and she took a sniff. It smelled like salt water but something was different about it.

"It smells like sea water, but there's something different about it."

"It's deionized. It's something that the Uzumaki clan did for their Namikaze shrine. The shrine was dedicated to Susanoo so in order to give him an offering suitable to his stature as the Kami of storms the Uzumaki would use Raiton to deionize the water. Then they would add a few drops of Sea water to represent the sea. This offering, Kin-chan, this just got a lot more difficult." Niko recorked the vial and put it back on the Kamidana before placing his hands together, bowing and giving a short prayer.

"So, there is a possibility one of the two are Uzumaki?"

"More than a possibility Niko-kun, Kin-chan." Sakumo chuckled when he saw them jump. He and Makato had just come back from seeing the body when he heard the two talking about the shrine. "We just came back from the Morgue at the local hospital. The body belonged to Hajime Mitokara-san, she came here five years ago injured and afraid. In those early years she was skittish and seemed to always look over her shoulder, but her husband one Hajime Daisuke, was the only constant in her life. Currently he is in the capital with their one year old daughter Kana visiting his parents. Mitokara-san has the traditional red Uzumaki hair, and Amethyst eye color of one of the main branch kin."

"Amethyst, like really vibrant Amethyst or darker like Oba-chan's?"

"Very vibrant, why?"

"Did she have a beauty mole next to her right eye and a birthmark on her hip?"

"Yes, how would you know that?"

Niko walked outside ignoring everyone, even Sakumo who was asking him what was wrong. He just needed to breath fresh air. Niko stepped outside and sat on the outside stairs of the house, he put his face in his hands and gritted his teeth.

"Niko-kun, what's wrong? Did you know her?" Sakumo sat next to her placing his hand on Nikos head and gently rubbed the back of it.

"Kaede, her name was really Uzumaki Kaede. She was Haha's first cousin. She was born with the most vibrant eyes the Uzumaki had ever seen from the main family. She was born with a birthmark on her hip and had a mole right next to her right eye. Haha was known as the Uzumaki-hime, but Kaede-nee was the Uzumaki's beauty. She babysitted me during the last year I can remember being in Uzushio." Niko dragged his hands down his face and looked over to his sensei with tears in his eyes.

Sakumo wrapped his arm around Niko's shoulders and pulled him against his side. Letting Niko cry, for the first time he had seen. "We will find this bastard Niko-kun, we will get justice for her."

"Mn." Niko nodded into his Sensei's shoulder, and Niko promised Kaede's ghost, he will bring her justice.

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He saw them from afar, and smirked. It seems the Uzumaki's treasure was here, and around the boys neck no less. Greed was the boys sin, wrath his sensei's, and he would give them peace.

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 **Sorry once again for the delay guys, trying to design this C-rank and also working on the Honor Choir was a bitch. The honor choir is done so hopefully I will be getting out chapters sooner, also a cookie for anyone who successfully guesses the bad guy!**


	15. Omake: Kinmokusei's Divergence

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 **I DO NOT OWN NARUTO IN ANY SHAPE OR CAPACITY. I ONLY OWN MY FICTITIOUS OC'S.**

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 **Glossary: Scene breaks will be denoted by a line of X's**

"Speech"

' _Thoughts'_

" **Demonic or summons speech"**

' _ **Demonic or summons thoughts'**_

I got a good suggestion from reviewer GaoGod. I will be rending Jutsu in Japanese, and I will post a glossary at the end of the chapter for each Jutsu and their translation to English.

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 **Alrighty guy, so I had some problems with my schools information that I've been trying to get sorted. Then my houses water pipes burst and I've been replacing them, my car has also had some problems recently, so I apologize for not cranking out the next chapter. I am about half way done when this is posted. I decided instead of doing the Omake I planned, how about I give you all a peek at Kinmokusei's life.**

 **Also the theme song for Kinmokusei if I had to give one would be "You should see me in a crown" by Billie Ellish.**

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"SUMIRE GET OUT OF THERE!"

Sumire turned to run as fast as she could, the avalanche of rock was coming quickly but she could out run it. She had to for her unborn children and her own life. Leaping from falling boulder to falling boulder the redheaded Yamanaka managed to nearly clear the ledge. What she didn't plan on was a smaller rock, the size of a coconut, to fall rapidly and strike her on her torso sending her careening into one of the falling boulders. She righted herself and began climbing again ignoring the pain in her torso. She reached the top and was about to fall in line when she fell to her knees holding her slightly extended stomach.

"Sumire!" Sumire's teammate Fuka ran over to her quickly. Out of the twenty odd Konohagakure shinobi there she was the only one that knew about Sumire's pregnancy.

"Fuuka-chan, please, it's the babies." Sumire felt herself being hoisted into Fuka's arms. See Sumire was only about five foot tall, but Fuka, she was an amazon. Six foot nine inches and two hundred fifty pounds of sheer muscle. Built like a log and hits harder than one too. Sumire always was jealous of Fuka's blonde hair, like golden sunlight given form, and tan skin. She was Sumire's favorite of the Namikaze twins, even if there was only one left. Fuka had a son recently, that's the only reason she told Fuka about her twins.

"Don't worry Sumire-chan, I'll get you home."

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Sumire was in shock. The last thing she remembered was being lifted into her best friends arms and then darkness. Sumire brushed her red hair from her eyes and looked around the room, the white walls and ceiling were stifling. She turned to get out of bed but a terrible sharp pain from her torso stopped her. She uncovered her body and lifted the scrub top to look at her bare skin. A neat line cut across her lower abdomen, stitched close and about six inches across. She felt the tears flood her eyes when she heard the door open.

"Chunin-Yamanaka? Good you are awake. My name is Hyuuga Kazuhito, and I am you resident physician for your stay."

"Where are my babies?"

"There were complications. The strike you took to the torso ruptured your uterus and if it wasn't for Jonin-Namikaze's swiftness you three would have died. Now, I know you want to see them but your children were forced to be born early for their safety. They are currently in the NICU wing of the hospital getting treatment. The eldest of the two with the orange hair has underdeveloped lungs, but in two weeks she should be good to come home. Now the younger one with the red hair like yourself, she has an underdeveloped heart. She is going to need a month or so in the NICU receiving treatments before she is ready to come home. Now, you yourself will be here for around two weeks, give or take a few days, to recover. Not only did you receive wounds, internally and externally, but you were poisoned and had to undergo surgery. The babies were relatively unharmed by the poison, though the older had trace amounts in her bloodstream but nothing in the amount to hurt her."

"When, when can I see them?"

Kazuhito circled the bed to the side that had her IV in her arm. He examined her IV and smiled to her. "Tomorrow at the latest, for the next week we are going t have to pump your breasts for milk, but after a week the babies should be stable enough to attempt latching so they can breast feed. It is important to make the connection between mother and child."

Wait she did, the next day right after breakfast she was wheeled into the NICU to see her children. When she saw them her heart nearly stopped, so small and red, like little shriveled tomatoes. BEing parked in front of their container she ignored her pain and leaned her forehead against the glass, the tears spilling from her eyes as she looked to the two. Her and her beloved decided on names already, but this, this was magical. These little beings were hers, her and her beloved's physical manifestation of their love. "Hello, Kinmokusei-chan, Kiku-chan. I'm your Kaa-chan Sumire."

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"Can't catch me Aneki!"

Kinmokusei watched her twin sister run around laughing, it was as entertaining as she felt now or days. She never really felt anything, she laughed when her sister laughed, cried when she cried and was learning to cry or laugh on her own at certain times to convince her mother nothing was wrong, but she just felt empty. Though one of the expressions that made her feel something was when she saw her sister in pain, or her mother crying so she did things sometimes to make them hurt. Kinmokusei ran into the woods to the back of their house and heard chirping. She saw at the base of a tall tree that there was a baby bird, so she picked it up and walked back to her sister.

"Oh! Is that a birdy! Aneki! Aneki! Let me have the birdy!"

Kinmokusei pondered how she could make the girl hurt and knew exactly how. She held the baby bird by its wings and tore them off, giving the body to her sister of the wailing baby bird, she kept the wings. "There, now we both can have the baby birdy."

Kinmokusei inwardly smiled at her sisters screaming, her mother's shocked voice at what she had done, it made her feel something and she loved it.

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"Good Kin-chan! That is right, now how could we use the oil from poison ivy or nettle to distract or harm our opponents?"

"Use the oil on a kunai or shuriken, and if it gets on their skin it can cause irritation. IF it gets in their blood system it can become painful enough to cause them to slip up."

"Very good, now what are some other useful plants we grow here that could kill somebody?"

"Hemlock could be used, and if it is mixed with wolfs bane you have a deadly poison that is hard to detect because of the lack of taste or smell. There is also foxglove, and in high concentrations it can slow or disrupt your heart, a high enough dose can simulate a complete stopping of the heart and seem natural. Bitter Nightshade can be used as well, quicker than Hemlock or Wolfs bane to kill but it can come off and seem like the person is sick."

"Good, now what about some of the powdered poisons we sell to Shinobi?"

"Powdered mistletoe can cause your someones heart to stop, ground and powdered Oleander leaves can kill an adult easy enough, and is very dangerous. There is Lye as well, if ingested it can cause a quick and painful death, then there is Ricin made from Castor Beans is extremely deadly. Even the smallest dose can kill someone, and it is untraceable. Tetrodotoxin that we harvest from the local toads and newts is also extremely deadly. It can cause paralysis and can lead to death. The final one I can think of is Strychnine, a common rodent poison but is commonly used by inexperienced or civilian killings."

"Very very good, sometimes you amaze me that you are only four years old Kin-chan! You are truly a prodigy in our clan."

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Kinmokusei held a hand to her cheek. Her mother's new boyfriend hit her, hard enough to make her bleed.

"Now apologize you insolent little bitch!"

Kinmokusei bowed and recited a quick apology, her eyes widened as she heard his belt unfasten.

"Now get over here you little whore."

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Kinmokusei looked at the casket in front of her. She took this man's life, and she didn't care. He could touch her or do anything to her, but when she found out he was doing it to her innocent happy sister, she murdered him with Ricin she stole from her teacher. This was her true calling nd she knew it, she enjoyed watching the pain and agony on his face as he died. When she showed him the needle she spat from her mouth, the realization on his face, it brought her more pleasure than anything she had ever experienced. The raw emotion gave her goosebumps and she wanted to experience it again, and again, so she set her plan in motion.

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Kinmokusei stood next to her sister looking over her mother in the hospital bed. They were told her mother was dying from liver failure most likely the disease known as Cirrhosis. Kinmokusei knew it was an Amatoxin she had cultivated from the mushrooms she had found in the forest behind their house. She had been feeding small amounts to her mother since her boyfriends death, and when she heard about the pregnancy she upped the dosage. Her mother's tears and wails from her miscarriage were so much better than the small things she did to her sister or to the animals. Now all she had to do was continue her sisters dosage of the poison she had made for her sister and her plan would be complete. No one would suspect the girl with a poor heart condition to die from heart related problems.

Six months, it had been slow but effective. A week after their mother slipped into a coma she had died, the funeral was nothing major, but it was enough. The agony written across her sisters face said enough that she loved it. The first month her sister had gotten sick but was cleared of any problems, then her heart got worse. The doctors were just treating her the same way and didn't worry about any possible reactants in her blood. The third month she was less active and she stopped playing with her friends, the fifth month she could barely walk and the doctors diagnosed her with a heart condition that was going to lead to her death. Terminal they had called it, and she smiled inwardly when she saw the despair written across her sisters face. The sixth month when her sister was about to die she told her everything, her mothers boyfriend, the animals, their mothers miscarriage, and even their mothers death. The look of hurt, betrayal, anger, it was amazing. This was the epitome of what she had been working up to.

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It had been less than a month since she started the academy when she had been introduced to the world of bullying. Three older boys from the current graduating class decided to try and bully her. She let them for a few weeks, but she got bored by it. So one day she fought back.

"Oi, Yamanaka-baka. You're in our spot."

Kinmokusei looks up to Tan, the ringleader of the three assholes. She just looks back down to her poisoned lunch eating it as if nothing was wrong. She had been dosing herself with most of the poisons she and used or was planning on using, and it hurt sometimes, but it was worth it.

"Oi, Tan is talking to you, you freak!"

The shortest of the three shoves her over knocking her food onto the ground. She growled, they were becoming annoying.

"Oh, is the emotionless shell doing something?"

Kinmokusei had it, they were going down, now. She leapt forward, the boys were poorly trained and it showed. She blocked their fists and kicks as if she was fighting a three year old. She delivered an upwards palm strike to the taller boys nose. The sickening crunch and the feeling of the nose breaking was perfect to her, twisting with the fist to her right she shoved an elbow into the same boys already broken nose shattering it further. Grabbing the wrist of the next boy who attacked her, the short mouthy one, she wrenched his wrist towards her pulling him off balance. She lifted her knee crashing it against his jaw. She let him go as he fell and delivered a sharp kick to his jaw shattering the right side. She looked to Tan who was shaking from her attack. "You know, Tan-kun, my lunch was special to me." She closed the distance between the two, blocking his kicks and punches and shoved him face first into her spilled food, wrenching his arm back to pop it from its socket she thrusted her palm into the joint. Tearing the cartilage even worse she heard him yell into the food and she smiled, he had just exposed himself to a low dose of Nightshade, Hemlock, and Wolfsbane. She stood from his body and walked away, she would be keeping an eye on him. What would kill him first?

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Kinmokusei is brought before Inoma Yamanaka her aunt and her uncle Kuro Yamanaka

Kin is questioned of her tendencies and her sadistic acts

Admits to the poisonings and the spar beat downs because she wondered what would happen

Inoma uses a sacred jutsu to split Kinmokusei's mind in two, one a shy and loving girl, the other her rage, anger, her darkness. Kin is the light, and Moku was the darkness in her heart

Kinmokusei sighed, her aunt had called for her. She bowed to her aunt Inoma and her uncle Kuro.

"Kin-chan, do you know why we called you here today?"

"No Oba-sama."

"You are accused of assault and the near murder of one Asano Tan, and in review of their deaths you are accused of murdering Chunin-Haruto, your Okaa-san, and your Imouto. How do you plead?"

"Plead?"

Inoma sighed, this child wasn't that dense, she let her husband take the lead on this one."Don't insult your intelligence or mine. We had the medical examiners run through known toxins and we know you exposed your mother to Amatoxin and your sister to small amounts of Tetrodotoxin. We also know now that Chunin-Haruto, your mother's lover at the time, was abusive physically and mentally to your mother and your sister. You killed him with Ricin, as the stock papers show about two CC's of the liquid mix that our clan produces was unaccounted for. Why Kin-chan, why would you do this?"

"Why? Because it felt so good! Seeing the pain, the horror on their faces, it felt so good! I don't FEEL anything Oba-sama, Oji-sama. When I see the terror, anger, despair, the utter rage and hate, the pain, I FEEL something, and it feels just so good. So I did it, I started with small thing, animals, hurting my sister, but then I hurt Haha by accident and it was so good. Then Haruto-baka began to sexually abuse me and my sister, he beat me too. So I wanted to see his despair, so I poisoned him and let him know it was me all along. Then I poisoned Haha, when she lost our little sibling it was perfect! The terror, the anguish, it was amazing!" Kinmokusei's hands wrapped around her shoulders almost in a hug. "Then when she began to die It felt good, everyday, to see the pain on her face, the hurt, it was amazing! Then, when she died I did it to my sister. I made it slow for her too, you should have seen her face when she learned she was going to die. I loved her screams, it was so good. Then, right as she was dying, I confessed everything to her, and the betrayal, the hurt, THAT was the epitome of anything I have felt since! So Oba-sama, that is why I killed them, and why I tried to kill Tan. Tan was an annoyance, a flea, and amoeba, barking at me constantly. So I put him in his place."

Inoma heard enough. She stood from her seat and walked down to Kinmokusei, he grabbed the child by her hair and began to drag her from the room. Kinmokusei's fighting hands were enough to make her look down to her but the tears were fake, she knew it. A Psychopath, a murderous Psychopath was what she was, but instead of killing her Inoma was going to save her. She brought her to the large tree in the center of the compound, covered in seals and bound her to it. Inoma drew her sword that began to glow an ethereal blue, she held it up in a normal Kendo stance and channeled her Yin chakra. "Yamanaka Kinjutsu: Tsu no hanbun no bunri." Inoma brought the blade down and sliced the blade through Kinmokusei. Kinmokusei's skin began to glow, one half white, the other half began to darken. Inoma shoved her hand into Kinmokusei's chest as sealing script from the tree began to cover both her and Inoma's bodies.

"Yamanaka Kinjutsu: Yaminofuin!" The sealing script tore away from both of them, but took the dark half of Kinmokusei. It drug the dark half into Kinmokusei's chest as the sealing script circled into a small black dot. It was done, Kinmokusei's darker half, her evil thoughts, her pain, anger, her nothingness was sealed. All that was left was her light emotions, her love, happiness, her joy. Inoma winced at the black circle around her bicep, this seal would alert her if the seal weakened or became loosened. If it broke either Kinmokusei was dead, or her dark half was completely released.

"Kinmokusei-chan, your lighter half is now Kin, and your darker Moku."

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Yamanaka Kinjutsu: Tsu no hanbun no bunri - S-ranked sister to the Yaminofuin. Original technique made by Inoma. Using her katana she channels her Yin chakra completely into the blade rendering it into a true blade of chakra. Using it on the opponent or subject she splits them down the middle or in half separating their darkness from their light.

Yamanaka Kinjutsu: Yaminofuin - S-ranked sealing jutsu of the Yamanaka clan. Used in conjunction with the Yamanaka Kinjutsu: Tsu no hanbun no bunri to seal away the dark half created by the Tsu no hanbun no bunri. Creates two seals, a small seal on the targets body, and a ring on the sealers body. This allows the sealer to know the status of the seal at all times.

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 **Alright guys, I hope you enjoyed this look into Kinmokusei's background. She is the only one of the two on Niko's team I am doing one for though, Makato is a normal boy, just hyper and ditzy. Well, till the next chapter!**

 **~Ardent Chronicler**


	16. Chapter 12

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 **I DO NOT OWN NARUTO IN ANY SHAPE OR CAPACITY. I ONLY OWN MY FICTITIOUS OC'S.**

 **XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

 **Glossary: Scene breaks will be denoted by a line of X's**

"Speech"

' _Thoughts'_

" **Demonic or summons speech"**

' _ **Demonic or summons thoughts'**_

I got a good suggestion from reviewer GaoGod. I will be rending Jutsu in Japanese, and I will post a glossary at the end of the chapter for each Jutsu and their translation to English.

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 **Once again I apologize for the lateness of the last chapter. I had two honor choir performances that add to my scholarships and I had to finish enrollment at my 4-year uni. I hope you all enjoyed the last chapter as we head towards the climax in this chapter.**

 **Well, I was just finished posting my Omake when my Chromebook died, I finally got some money to get a new one so I apologize for my late post.**

 **So Ive done two other explanations for the delay, this is the final one. I did not expect my Writers class to be this, well, strenuous. I have had little true time to focus on The Sixth Sense. I am currently on my spring break so I will have posted this chapter by then. I apologize for the wait, and I am making a very interesting Omake for a character to make up for it.**

 **Now I only plan about two maybe three C-ranks but I may do more. I also need to fit in some fillers and some important chapters back at Konoha, also a couple of Omake's to cover a couple different points.**

 **If there are any characters you all believe I should do an Omake on send in a request and I might just make one for them.**

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Sakumo shooed the genin back to the hotel, he wanted to investigate on his own. Sakumo looks around the apartment and notices things the kids missed. There are tiny seals carved into the wooden floor at the doorways. Sakumo didn't read Fuin as aptly as the Sanin or the Sandaime but he was adept enough to understand that these seals were to ward off someone or something specific. Looking around the murder scene again he takes note of two things the children failed to find. The apartment had been sifted through with a careful hand, dust was disturbed or shifted in places it usually wouldn't, and that impression in the carpet in the middle of the blood stain.

'A kashira imprint?' Sakumo placed his fingers into the small groove and felt a strange indent. 'Ornamented, not cheap either, this piece had some work done to it.'

He reached into his pouch and pulled out a sealing scroll and a pencil. He tore a piece of the scroll away at the end and pressed it into the groove in the wood. Using the pencil to shade the area the imprint popped out at him. It was a circle made of a strange pattern but in the middle are two blade tips each facing the opposite direction horizontally. This symbol he knew personally since the mission that claimed the life of his sensei.

'What are you doing here Iga shinobi?' Sakumo rolled the piece of scroll up and deposited it into his pants pocket. If this was one of the Iga then the Koga were not far behind. The two clans are the only left in the world who have not fallen under the Village system, and they are the most dangerous of the clans to date. The Iga and Koga have very specific and strong Kekkei Genkai. The Iga had their clan ninjutsu passed down from their founder that only their bloodline could use. Labeled as dark style or Meiton is a special jutsu. No one knows what elements combine to make the release but the Iga-nin themselves. The technique can absorb chakra from jutsu or nature and redirect it as an attack, it is an extremely dangerous technique. The Koga have their own release that seems to be a direct contrast of the Iga, Koton or light release. The Koga can bend light with their jutsu making themselves perfectly invisible, can conduct it in an attack that can vaporize their enemies and is nearly unbeatable, or make a defense of light that can neutralize chakra. The same as the Iga's Meiton no one knows how they form the jutsu or what elements are involved except the Koga clan themselves. The Koga is more open to society than the Iga, while the Iga's head is not known, the Koga's leader is. A man named Rokkaku Masayori leads the Koga clan, he is a dangerous man that is revered as a master of Ninjutsu, and master tactician among the entire elemental nations.

If these two parties, who were constantly at war, were to do combat here then there was nearly nothing he could do but evacuate those he could help.

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He was starting to get tired of waiting. The tall male grabbed the woman he had just skewered with his sword, by the hair and drug her into the living room. Sitting here on the couch as her husband and child he took out two kunai and pierced the woman's hands into her thighs. He stepped back to examine his work and nodded. Pushing his fingers into the dead child's slit throat he coated his fingers in blood. It took him four repetitions of this but he managed to write his message.

" _Your sins will be judged and I will have my prize Uzumaki. You and Hatake will feel my blades righteous judgment._ " With a smile, he turned to leaves, one last look on the faces of the three.

The woman sin was lust, she had worked herself out to her neighbor and the police for years. Her own child was a product of that sin.

The husband's sin was gluttony. The fat man was overfilled at every meal while his child nearly starved and his wife anemic.

The child was the worst of all. The child sin was murder, she had killed countless animals and recently three other children. This child was proof of this worlds sin and she was now cleansed.

Satisfied in his work the tall ninja left the home purposefully leaving footprints, however, he was not expecting the redhead girl to be here. His eyes turned black as coal he frowned grabbing her around her mouth and smashing her head into the ground. "Where is your sin?"

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The town was livening up today. The villagers were bustling to and from their homes and businesses. It was peaceful enough that Niko almost overlooked his destination.

"Makato, I'm going into the shrine. If Sensei comes looking let him know where I am."

"Sure, just don't get attacked by any spirits! Oh God, what if you were possessed!"

"Makato, I'll be fine. Check in on Kin-chan will you?"

"Mn."

Niko watched his teammate running back towards their hotel. He liked Makato a lot, he was confident to say that Makato was one of his closest friends, right after Minato of course. Turning around he looked at the almost glowing patch of land that resided in the middle of the village square. Placing his hand on the railing he felt it again, more written images and words, so Niko closed his eyes and he felt.

Shinobi, ones who endure. The name Izanagi had given the once demon. After his name had been given to him Izanagi left, reminding Hanzo of his mission, kill Kagutsuchi. The demon walked for close to a hundred years familiarizing himself with the nations he called home. The last day of his Hundred Year Journey he heard a rumor. The famed God Kagutsuchi had been found in the hills of Tsuchi no Kuni. Hanzo immediately set off on his way to find the old God, to silence him once and for all. His travels led him to the town called Kagutsuchi, ironically enough. The mining town was small, their funds low, and black lung ran rampant throughout the village. Hanzo had asked around for God by name, searching for his conquest, his prey. The God seemed to not be anywhere near this town, no one had seen or heard anything of their town's namesake. Hanzo had lost his only lead, in his fury he began eliminating the townsfolk one by one.

After a fortnight of murder, the town had been eradicated, but something stirred in the depths. The earth split and fire rained from the sky. Hanzo batted away the fireballs and the molten rock as if nothing but annoyances. A hand made of molten rock the size of a dozen houses pushed down upon the earth and there he was in all his glory. The God of fire, Kagutsuchi, stood towering thousands of feet in the air, his booming voice proclaiming his glory in the tongue of the gods.

" _ **Whom dares stir the mighty Kagutsuchi! Whom dares lay there filthy hands upon my subjects?**_ "

Hanzo climbed to the peak of the tallest home left standing and half his kusarigama in his hands outstretched above him.

" _It is I, Hanzo the Shinobi! I have come for your head so I may be reunited with my love everlasting!_ '

" _**So a fool comes before the mighty Kagutsuchi! Come then, Shinobi, and prove your worth!**_ "

The battle lasted for months, the sky had split across the land rending the land in darkness, the mother earth tears black and ashen. Hanzo fought valiantly, and so did Kagutsuchi who proved his godhood. Yet in the end, only one of these Titans would stand. The human once the demon or the kinslaying god. In the end, Kagutsuchi laid on the ground, his body cold and stone, but with his final words, he uttered a curse upon the man.

Niko blinked and read out loud the final text. "You shall be cursed to forever be reborn, to never taste the pure world. To Hanzo, this would have been a living hell."

"More than, little shinobi."

Niko jumped out of his skin, spinning in a place he turned to see an older woman in a Miko uniform. Her grey hair hung below her knees in a long braid. Her pink colored eyes looked on at him in curiosity.

"Who are you?"

"I am one of this shrines Miko. Tell me little shinobi, are you one of the Genin who came here with Sakumo-kun?"

Niko nodded, she knew his sensei. That would only mean three things. She was either a well informed civilian, a spy for another country, or someone who was once a client. "How do you know sensei?"

The Miko smiled warmly to Niko her eyes closing and she seemed to be lost in thought. With a gentle sigh she placed her hands on her thighs bending over to be head height with Niko. "Well, your Sensei, Sakumo-kun, was a friend during the second war. He would make regular trips to the shrines of Hi no Kuni to make sure we were taken care of during the time of stress.

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"Damnit." Sakumo was stood in front of the small family that was just found. Their throats slashed, stomachs stabbed, but it was the message that concerned him. Referring to the Uzumaki was a sure sign he was talking about Niko. That settled it, this mission was officially over. The two most obscure clans are involved and one of them are seeking Niko personally? This missions intel was vastly understated. If he had know these were assassinations he would never have gotten the kids involved. Sure they were ninja but they didn't have to see any of this at this point in life.

"Jonin-san, it is as you said, trace elements of poison in the wounds. Hemlock, or at least that is what it seems like to us."

Sakumo nodded and proceeded to leave the house. With a burst of speed he was leaping across the rooftops to reach his destination. Quickly creating a Kage Bunshin to tail him from the shadows he contemplated the predicament. There was ninja from one of the two outside clans, they were murdering people, and they wanted something they think Niko has or knows about.

Once he had reached the hotel they were staying at he quickly climbed the building and burst into the room. "Makato-kun, Niko-kun, we have to go now." Sakumo grabbed the two boys packs and sealed them into his rations scroll.

"Sensei, what's going on?"

"Niko-kun, answer me honestly. Do you have any relics from Uzushio, maybe scrolls or tomes?"

Niko shook his head, there was nothing he really had of his old home, well almost nothing. "I dont have anything besides the necklace Oba-chan made me. It was my kaa-chans earring." Niko pulled the necklace from around his head and showed it to Sakumo.

Sakumo took the necklace in his hand and examined it. Sure enough there it was, the bell wasn't black from time or from damage. It was absolutely covered in seals. "Niko-kun, we need to leave now. We are being targeted by some very dangerous Shinobi, where is Kin-chan?"

Makato shrugged. "After I found Niko I went looking around for Kin-chan, but I couldn't find her anywhere. What if she was taken by a bear? Would she become a werebear? Is there such thing? What if!"

Sakumo tuned out Makatos rambling as he cursed inwardly. One of his kids were gone, there was a dangerous assassin threatening him and Nikos life, he ahd no time he needed Ookami. Biting his thumb he performed five quick hand signs and placed his palm on the ground. "Kuchiyose no jutsu!" A large dog nearly the size of Sakumo stood next to him.

"Sakumo-kun? Why have you summoned me?"

Sakumo bowed to the humongous canine in front of him. "I apologize Ookami-sama, but I am in desperate need of your help. I believe an assassin is here from one of the lost clans. My female student, Yamanaka Kinmokusei, vanished and I can not sense her. Please, will you assist your subject in the recovery of his pack?"

The large wolf-dog, the color of burning embers nodded his head. The hound was easily five foot tall, his body a smouldering black with flecked red fur patches beneath contrasting the black. The hounds moon-blue eyes focused on Sakumo and nudged Sakumo with the tip of his black nose. "Stand, Sakumo-kun, I will help you. Pack is pack, no matter the species. You have been my most constant companion over the last twenty years. Your pack, is my pack." The large hound looked to Niko and Makato. "You two stay here, pups will only get in the way of the hunt. You may follow and help your packmate but do not attempt to assist in the hunt. Come, the moon is full, our hearts burn, tonight our enemy knows not whom they have scorned, but they will feel my teeth."

Sakumo removed his headband and his eyes seemed to slit becoming more canine. His incisors lengthened and his hair seemed to bush. "And my blade." Sakumo turned to the two and nodded to them. The removal of the headband signified that this was not a sancted mission, this was personal.

Niko nodded and activated his eyesight taking in the change of his sensei. Niko was startled, the first time he had seen it before. The green of his vision was slowly mixing and churning with his sensei's blue becoming the seafoam green energy that seemed to burn with power. Keeping his eyes activated he followed his Sensei and the large hound outside the window and towards the woods. He would never let her die, not on his watch, he can't lose another person.

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Hanzo has Kinmokusei tied up unconscious to a tree with a sword to her throat when Sakumo arrives

Sakumo demands her release

Hanzo releases his name and demands the Uzumaki treasure

Sakumo denies having it and that if Hanzo wishes to live he will release Kinmokusei

Hanzo stabs Kinmokusei in the gut and takes a stance to fight the White Fang declaring that she only has so much time before she dies

He looked to the naked red haired girl tied to the tree. She interested him, he could not feel her darkness, her sin, her anger. It was as if she was a pure being with no darkness. He flipped his knife in his hand and flung it again watching it sheath into her left thigh. She cried out in pain as the twelfth wound was put on her body. He pulled the knife from her leg and walked back across the clearing. He was getting bored of her cries of pain and her whimpering. He was contemplating just slitting her throat.

Kinmokusei's head was pounding, she probably had a concussion. She could feel all twelve burning wounds as this strange man used her as a dart board. The pain out weighed the shame of her nudity, he hadn't touched her inappropriately the whole time. "Please, please just let me go. I-I won-won't tell anyone! P-please stop. Please!"

Hanzo flung the knife again and it split her ear in half, he wails of pain reignited as he stared at the crimson liquid flowing from her split ear. He walked to her and removed the knife and drug it lightly across her forehead and down her face, he continued making shallow long slices on her face carving her like a turkey. He growled as she bit his hand, he stabbed the knife into the side of her small breast avoiding the organs beneathe but piercing through the fleshy appendage. Her screams were becoming more and more hoarse, he knew that she wasn't going to last much longer. "You were so confident before, so tell me little flower. Where is your Sensei now?"

Kinmokusei looked up weakly, barely able to see through the blood that was pouring from a wound above her eye. She saw him, behind the man and her whimper was pitiful but it was the only thing she could say.

Hanzo felt him, spinning in place he blocked the blade with his own Katana. Grabbing the handle of the blade from the girls breast he yanked it out roughly making her scream in pain again. Seeing the tears on Sakumos face and the snarling visage of the hound gave Hanzo a smile. "Sneaky, we did not think you were going to come. I was just having fun with her since I was bored."

Sakumo vanished using his nature chakra as a boost. His blade clashed with an arc of white chakra against the enemies and he watched the man go flying. "Niko! Get Kin-chan to safety and heal her!"

Niko leapt from the cover of the trees and with tears running down his face he cut the wire holding her up with his chakra scalpels. He lifted her into his arms barely being able to hold her in his arms and he began to run. He poured his heart and soul into his run, he was going to save her. He saw Makato fall in line behind him,with Makato with him he could focus on saving Kinmokusei. She had lost so much blood, her injuries were pretty bad. "Don't worry Kin-chan, I won't let anything hurt you again."

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Sakumo growled at the male with the half mask. "You fucking bastard! You hurt her! I will fucking KILL YOU!" Sakumo leapt at the male, their blades clashing in a flurry of sparks. No one could stand against Sakumo for long, not even the three Sanin all together. This man though, he was matching Sakumo blow for blow, cut for cut. This man was in another league.

Hanzo was impressed, another human capable of manipulating the worlds natural energies. He blocked another short jab and turned into a kick using his palm to send the furious Hatake back a few feet. Hanzo chuckled, the gaping gash on his thigh was spewing his life blood. He saw the Jonins eyes widen at the black blood seeping like tar from his wound. Placing his hand over the wound he flung some of his blood at Sakumo who blocked it with his hand, but that is what Hanzo wanted.

Sakumo winced, looking to his hand. The black thick blood was eating away the skin of his hand like an acid. He swiped his hand and sent the thick blood to the ground mixing with his own. "What in Izanagi's name are you?"

"Don't you DARE speak his name! Izanagi has NOTHING to do with this any longer!" Hanzo's blood burned within his body as he pressed his attack. Launching a flurry of blade and fists he kept up his advantage on Sakumo ignoring the pouring blood down his own wound. He heard Sakumo's yelp of pain as he felt his blade slice into the Jonins side deeply. He did not escape unscathed though. A Kunai buried hilt deep in his chest, he could feel the blade pulsing with his heart. A perfect hit, he sighed inwardly, he hated this part.

Sakumo watched Hanzo wretch the blade from his chest and fall to his knees. Watching the life drain from the enemies eyes brought him a satisfaction for what had happened to his pup. He walked over to the male and used his Tanto to behead the dead man. Turning away he leapt into the trees after his students following the smell of Kinmokusei's blood.

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Niko wiped the sweat from his brow, his reserves were running low. You weren't supposed to completely heal a wound, only get it to a non-threatening state but he was completely healing her wounds one by one. "Come on Kin-chan, come on." He had his hands hovering over her face, one of the cuts had injured her left eye but not dangerously so. He had finished knitting the flesh and skin back together as he worked on the eyeball. The eye had sustained some damage he just didn't have the knowledge to fix, so he patched it up as best as he could and used some spare bandages from his kit to clean her face and then a gauze pad and some tape to tape it over her damaged eye. The red began to creep up his face as he began to fix the stab wounds on her torso, hand contact was a necessity if you were not experience enough to use the chakra without touching the skin, or if you were low. So unfortunately, he had to touch her breast, her hip, and her bare thigh as he healed her. It may have been in appropriate for the situation but he was a young male, and he cursed his hormones.

"Makato, take off your pants, I know you wear shorts underneath them." Niko began wiping the blood from her body with water from his canteen and the gauze he used to clean her face with. He adjusted her pulling his hoodie over her torso and taking the pants from Makato he slid them over her legs and hips. The pants were loose so he used some medical tape to bind them tighter to her waistline. He sat her up and moved behind her letting her rest against his body. He took her hair in his hand and used the last of his water to wash most of the blood from her hair and work out the knots from it. He wrapped an arm around her shoulders and the other ran over her forehead and her scalp as he hummed his Kaa-chan's lullaby to her.

Makato bit his lip, for the first time in his life he has nothing to say. He was the oldest on the team outside of their sensei, he felt responsible for these two, and on his watch Kin-chan was taken, tortured, she was brutalized and it stung. It stung, and his eyes burned, and he saw things even clearer but he cursed his Sharingan. Over the last few months he hated to say it, but he was falling for Kinmokusei, and he cared for her more than any other person save his Aniki. He looked at her face, seemingly clearer than ever before. He saw every pore, every contour of her face, the very fine and small hairs on her neckline, her lips slightly separating with each breath. She is alive, she will be fine, she has to be.

Niko nearly jumped when Sakumo landed in the clearing. His sensei ran to the two and nearly slid on his knees giving Kinmokusei a once over. "I healed everything, every single injury." Niko saw his eyes widen, he knew what that meant being friends with Niko's biological mother.

"Don't worry Niko, just rest. Makato, you take Niko, I'll take Kin-chan, this mission ended in a success, the murders will have been stopped. We need to get back to Konohagakure ASAP."

Makato nodded, he looked down into the blood at his feet, the pool reflecting his visage. His eyes had transformed, no longer were there two tomoe in each, now there was four dots, connected by thin black lines to each. "The Uchiha truly are cursed."

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 **Once again I am sorry for the delay, I will be trying to finish the other C-rank and the single filler chapter before I go back to school. The Omake will be coming and I hope to see your reactions to who it is. Till next time,**

 **~Ardent Chronicler**


	17. Omake: Mikoto's Defiance

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 **I DO NOT OWN NARUTO IN ANY SHAPE OR CAPACITY. I ONLY OWN MY FICTITIOUS OC'S.**

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 **Glossary: Scene breaks will be denoted by a line of X's**

"Speech"

' _Thoughts'_

" **Demonic or summons speech"**

' _ **Demonic or summons thoughts'**_

I got a good suggestion from reviewer GaoGod. I will be rending Jutsu in Japanese, and I will post a glossary at the end of the chapter for each Jutsu and their translation to English.

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 **This Omake will be in the first person, and I do hope you enjoy it. This won't be like the other ones where it's just a little bit of fleshing out or story. This will be everything from the beginning to now in this person's view.**

 **Remember if there is a person you want to see in an Omake, let me know. I respond to inboxes and I do read the reviews.**

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Ever since I was young I knew, I was special. Mother always made sure I was watched after but she made sure I was trained. Tou-chan died when I was still in my mothers womb, but I always heard about my grandfather. My grandfather was Uchiha Izuna, one of the two most legendary Uchihas to come from the Warring States Period. Kaa-chan says I look a lot like my Tou-chan, I hope so cause I always thought Tou-chan was pretty in his pictures. Tou-chan's name was Nato, Uchiha Nato, son of Uchiha Izuna, nephew of the great Uchiha Madara.

"Mikoto-chan! Time to come in, your cousin Kagami-kun is here."

I turned and with the brightest smile my little toddler self could give I waddle-ran into the house. I darted down the hallway and when I turned the corner there he was, my cousin Kagami! Kagami was my favorite of our family, he was awesome, and funny, and he showed me lots of stuff.

"Kagami-nii! Kagami-nii! Kaga-nii! What did you bring me? You went to Tsuchi no Kuni right? Right?!"

I felt his rough and calloused hand atop my head, gently brushing my hair back. He still smelled of blade oil, earth, and heat. He kneeled down in front of my and reached into his coat, and from it he pulled a plain looking rock.

"Kaga-nii?"

He chuckled, his voice deep and throaty. He took my hand and led me to the garden where I played. Sitting my in the grass he took my hand and placed it on the rock.

"Close your eyes Mikoto, and focus."

I did, and I felt the world. It was strange but I felt everything, yet nothing. Like this small stone held the secret to all of life's questions, and its intricacies. I opened my eyes with new clarity and understanding, this rock, no this relic, was something more.

"You must keep this to yourself, only show one other person in your life. Your father showed me, as his father showed him. I show you this now because I trust you, this is Izuna-sama's legacy. Nato-san called it the Chikyu no kokoro, and was found by Izuna-sama. This relic is ancient, older than any known record, Izuna-sama theorized that it belonged to the Rikudo Sennin."

I looked to the small orb, barely larger than a throwing stone, but it felt like the weight of the world was in my hands.

"Mikoto-chan, you need to protect this with everything you have. There are those that if they found it, would use it for evil. Izuna-sama stole it from Senju Hashirama-sama, and warned of its power. Izuna-sama theorized it was the key to Hashirama-samas Mokuton. So I need you to promise me, promise me that you will only ever show this to one person, and no one else. That person has to be trustworthy beyond belief, and it must not be blinded by your love."

I didn't understand, wouldn't someone who you love be the best person to? Then again he was showing me and I guess I could understand.

"I promise Kaga-nii, only to a super trustworthy person."

I closed my eyes and felt the earth again and I felt his lips against my forehead.

"Thank you, Mikoto-chan."

The following week Uchiha Tasa, my mother, was found dead in our home by Kagami-nii, her throat torn out, her eyes removed, her ears gone, and her tongue cut out. Her body was marred by slash marks as if attacked by a beast, it wouldn't be for many years that I would know what did this, and it would haunt me forever.

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I winced as I felt a palm meeting the back of my head.

"Be attentive girl. You are learning to be a bride, not some trophy, so listen."

I sighed, I hated this, ever since Kaa-chan died I was put through these classes and I hated it. I don't want to be some trophy wife, the granddaughter of Uchiha Izuna was the best trophy someone could hope for.

I spent most of my days training and preparing for my eventual role as a wife, but I was secretly trained in the shinobi arts by Kagami-nii, and I was good. By my fifth birthday I was told I would be marrying the heir of the clan, Fugaku, and I resisted. By my seventh birthday, I fell in love. He was younger than me, but I was drawn to him, his eyes, his hair, his voice, his actions. He was gorgeous, and he was my best friends Nephew.

"Ne, Mikoto-chan, this is Niko-kun, my nephew."

I was captivated by him, and I wouldn't know for a long time, that it was love at first sight. I remember the clammy feeling in my hands, the sweat on my palms, my mouth went dry, I bit my lip to act nervous but I was trying to snap myself out of it.

"Hello Niko-kun, I'm Uchiha Mikoto."

I bowed, being polite had been beaten into me literally.

"Hi, I'm Niko."

I giggled and placed my hand a top his head, I wanted to protect this smile, so that very day I found Kagami-nii and demanded to train harder than ever before.

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It was on the day of my eigth birthday that I met Fugaku, he was two years older than me, but we were the same height.

"So you are my bride."

I grimaced and crossed my arms over my chest immediately getting a scowl from him.

"Fight me, if I win, you leave me alone unless we have to interact. I don't have time to play wife to you."

I saw something light up in his eyes, I like to think it was understanding, but in reality, it might have been defiance. We fought, and we fought hard. He was good, but I was better. I matched him, blow for blow even though he had his Sharingan, and he couldn't land a hit on me. When I had my fill of his mortification I destroyed him. A jab to the left kidney started it, into a sweeping kick, a foot to the side of his head, and a knee to his throat, the other holding me in place as I had two kunai poised to remove his eyes.

"Yield, boy."

I heard his scoff but he yielded and we came to an understanding. One that lasted to our final day, he was strong, I was stronger, he was smart, I was smarter, he was fast, I was faster. He never beat me in any category, and one day I proved to him my strength, the grand daughter of Izuna earned a reputation as menacing as her ancestor. There was only four people who could match me, Namikaze Minato, Jiraiya of the Sannin, Uzumaki Kushina, and Niko.

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It started with a roar, then a bang. The Kyuubi was in the middle of Konoha, and I felt it in all of its glory. As a Chunin it was my job to escort the civillians and young Genin to the shelters until everything was done. It took hours for the fight to last, and it was a sight. A beast tall as the night sky and the old man Sarutobi Hiruzen fighting the beast. I touched the orb in my pouch and felt the world at my finger tips. I felt the Kyuubi, I felt its true nature, the depths of its hatred and in that moment my eyes bled, and my Mangekyou was awakened. I saw my best friend, unconscious, shirtless, held by the Sandaime and in a flash of light the beast was gone and so were the two of them.

"Kushina-chan."

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I heard what happened to Niko, the true story and I felt hate. I HATED the Sandaime, how could he have done that? He hurt Niko, and I would never forgive him, I wouldn't….I couldn't. I stayed by his side, every day, every night. The day he awakened I was allowed to see Kushina finally, and she told me everything. We were about to go get a shower and some ramen when we both heard Niko had awoken, and I have never seen my best friend move that fast. We arrived and I saw it in her eyes, her heart broke. My own did as well when I saw his foggy eyes, he stared at us, but it was like he was seeing into a never ending abyss that existed in front of us. Seeing but not seeing, and it terrified me. I left, I couldn't see him like that, it broke my heart, and that was when my first seed of doubt against Konohagakure was sewn.

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"KUSHINA!"

I saw my friend, the one who had been missing, who finally returned. I nearly tackled her but I clung to her weeping my eyes out. We held each other weeping, and we never stopped. She went home and came to mine the next day, broken but somehow holding together. That night we kissed, we felt each others bodies, and took comfort in each other. We never regretted it, and we both needed it, it reassured us we were both there, and both alive. I will never forget the next day, we kissed, less a passionate cry for help or need, but more of a tender kiss of kindness. We parted ways, but that night lingered with us for the rest of our lives. We were not even teenagers, but we knew that what we had done had to remain a secret.

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Not many can say it, but I was there when the world felt like it was ending. Fire illuminated the sky, my blade sung and danced with me across the battlefield. I felt alive, I felt powerful, and I earned my name that night. The Black Maiden, Uchiha Mikoto, they were one and the same, and I will never forget or forgive what was done to those I love. MY sister, and lover, Kushina. The boy I cared for deeply, Niko. They were my reason, for now, and I would rely on them for the rest of my natural life, and their kindness.

"I am Uchiha Mikoto, Jonin of Konohagakure, fiance to Mad Eye Uchiha Fugaku. I am the Black Maiden of the Uchiha, and I will protect them. I will protect the orb, and nothing can stop me."

I watched as the whole battalion in front of me had finally died, burning with a black fire that could not be quenched. I had just stopped a premature attempt at starting the third war, little did I know that my actions were in vain. War was inevitable.

"I am become death, the destroyer of worlds."

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 **Figured that you would enjoy this, this is my version of Mikoto. Jonin before 13, A-ranked shinobi by 11, and strongest Uchiha besides Kagami. Where did you think Itachi's power came from, Fugaku? Pssshhh. Nah. As of posting this I am working on the next main chapter, so I hope you enjoy.**


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